Children can get severe burns by pulling things off the stove

The scenario pictured above is incredibly easy to recreate in your own home. All that you have to do is leave a pot simmering on the stove, with the pot's handle sticking out where a child can reach up and grab it. The child dumps a quart or a half-gallon of boiling liquid over his/her body and is covered in severe burns.

Children like to imitate adults, and children are curious. So if a child sees you holding the pot's handle and stirring, the child wants to play too. When you step away, the child's natural instinct is to reach up and grab the handle... with disasterous results.

A smaller scale version of this same scenario can happen after you pour yourself a hot mug of tea or coffee. If you leave the cup on the edge of the counter or a table where a child can reach up and grab it, then the child ends up with a cup of boiling liquid poured over his/her head and body.

This article shows another way:

Steps you can take Additional Resources