The Hidden Danger in Water Hoses: Avoid Scalding and Burns

Water fun and summertime go hand-in-hand. Although we may quickly turn to our water hoses for a cool down in the hot Texas summer, there’s a hidden danger of which we need to be more aware. Water which has been left in an outdoor water hose in high temperatures can result in scalding and second-degree burns. Occurrences are so rarely shared in the news or on social media. And, as such, it’s a P.S.A. that needs to be passed along for both your child as well as your pet’s safety.

Photo: Pixabay

In 2018, the Las Vegas Fire Department took to their social media to share a photo of a baby boy with burns that resulted from the spray of a garden hose. The incident took place in Arizona in 2016. However, similar experiences can and have occurred, resulting from water temperatures upwards of 140-degrees Fahrenheit. Such heat is achieved after the water is left sitting in garden hoses that have been out in the sun. The toddler in this instance suffered second-degree burns when he was sprayed with a garden hose which had been similarly left out. In order to avoid future instances, the LVFD tweeted the image, in an effort to inform the public of this hidden danger.

Photo: Pixabay

Likewise, the danger is just as detrimental to pets. A case study from Texas A&M’s Department of Pathology showed that skin biopsy samples taken from pets between 2007 and 2010 resulted in the findings that the animals suffered from thermal burns consistent with that which would come from the exposure to hot water from garden hoses. Each of the samples were taken in areas where the temperatures were known to reach at least 90-degrees F. The researchers tested the theory that water from garden hoses were to blame by filling both a black as well as a green hose and leaving it on the lawn in the Texas heat. The outdoor temperatures rose between 89- and 94-degrees F., while the water in both hoses had reached 120 degrees F.

Photo: Public Domain Pictures

This summer, when you’re preparing to cool the kids or your pets off with the happy spray of a water hose, it’s highly recommended that you let the water flow for several minutes in order to bring it down to a temperature suitable for people or animals. Avoid the hidden danger and the subsequent pain and suffering that can result, and share with family and friends to do the same. It seems like one of the most innocent and simplest things, and yet it can turn into such a catastrophe.