A Quebec man is planning to launch a lawsuit against a private seniors' residence in suburban Montreal because he says his 94-year-old father died after suffering scald burns in a bathtub.
This is the second time in 18 months that a senior has died in that same nursing home of burns resulting from scalding water and in the years 1997 to 2007 nineteen seniors have died after being burned by hot water in senior residences in Quebec, Canada. Read more
In order to protect seniors and others with disabilities from being scalded in the bathtub, Safety Bath Inc. installs a water temperature limiting valve in all of its walk in bathtubs.
The water temperature limiting valve is designed to allow the water temperature of the water passing into the faucet to be set at a certain temperature. This is to be done by the installer or the person responsible for maintaining the bathtub. The valve ensures that the temperature of the water will not go beyond the limit that is set.
At present the recommendation for water temperature entering a bathtub is 49 degrees C (120 degrees F). It is expected that that recommendation will be changed to 43 degrees C (107 degrees F), which still appears to be a temperature at which aging skin could be easily burned. While Safety Bath products are manufactured with a water temperature limiting valve, it remains imperative that plumbers and housing maintenance workers understand the reasoning for the limiting valve and set it accordingly.
For further information on walk in bathtubs visit http://www.safetybath.com
