Making microwave oven doors child resistant to protect young children from severe scalds

Abstract

Most severe child scalds in the United States involve food and beverages. The wide variety of burn mechanisms, however, makes prevention challenging. Over the past 15 years, we have worked toward protecting young children from 1 specific mechanism: children opening microwave oven doors themselves and spilling the heated contents, resulting in often severe scalds. In our published research, we documented the frequency and severity of these cases and the vulnerability of young toddlers to be burned in this way. We have presented our findings and ideas for prevention at multiple national meetings and enlisted college engineering students to design microwave doors that would thwart a young child from opening them. In 2017, we became active members of a national task group convened by Underwriters Laboratories to address this issue, and two authors became voting members on the Underwriters Laboratories Standards Technical Panel for microwave ovens. We worked with microwave manufacturers and others for.1 year to address concerns of the industry, including those related to potential impacts on older adults. This effort resulted in the task group proposing a change in the standard, requiring “two distinct actions” to open the door of a microwave oven. On September 17, 2018, the panel voted to pass the measure, which will require child-resistant doors for all new microwave ovens in 2023. This report highlights how research can inform and support child injury prevention advocacy. Children will now be protected from this type of scald as microwaves with child-resistant doors replace current models.