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A significant increase in burn injuries from hot water bottles has prompted urgent safety warnings, as new figures highlight a worrying trend.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is urging the public to take precautions, check the age and condition of bottles and avoid overfilling ahead of National Burns Awareness Day on 15 October.
Data from the Children’s Burns Trust and the International Burn Injury Database (IBID) shows that cases of hot water bottle burns are expected to increase by 11% between 2023 and 2024, reaching 978 cases. This is the highest annual total in two decades.
Meanwhile, figures show the number of injuries has almost doubled in five years from 499 in 2019.
Ken Dunn, retired consultant burns and plastic surgeon, and vice-chairman of the Children’s Burns Trust, said: “It is worrying to see such a sharp increase in the number of burns caused by hot water bottles, particularly in young children.
“We know that these injuries can cause long-term physical and psychological effects, so prevention is important.
“As the colder months of the year approach – so do the ongoing financial stresses houses Below are – We are urging families to avoid using hot water bottles for babies.
“If you use them at home, there are two main pieces of information you should remember about using them safely – never fill them with boiling water and always check the rubber flower symbol found on the neck that shows what month and year the hot water bottle was made. Any bottles older than two years should be replaced.”
It comes after the British Standards Institution (BSI) reinstated its national committee to review and update the hot water bottle standard in response to growing concerns over burns.
The final standard was published in 2012, as part of BSI’s standards review process. The committee overseeing it was disbanded in 2024 as it had no chairperson.
Adrian Simpson, head of policy at RoSPA, said: “We are pleased that the Committee for Hot Water Bottles and Microwavable Warmers has been reinstated by BSI with the aim of giving manufacturers clear guidance on improving product safety.
“RoSPA is proud to be invited to chair the Standards Committee, which will help ensure that these products reflect the latest safety requirements.
“However, these items can still pose risks – especially older items – so we urge the public to follow simple safety steps to stay warm without injury. We will also consider this issue in future conversations with policy makers and standards bodies.”