steam safety

[caffeol]

Hi everyone.   It occurred to me after I had bought it and become hooked that I now have a potentially dangerous steam device sitting on the kitchen bench discharging at face level for kids.   My own children are old enough that Im not worried but the neighbours boy is five and he has a younger sister.

The five year old has had the "touch this and it will flay the flesh off your bones" routine but curiosity may overcome good sense and his little sister can be a disaster looking for a place to happen.

Fortunately the steam knob is quite high and the moment you turn off the 6910 there is no more steam from the wand.  But when the machine is on to warm up there is a risk.   It needs to be at the front of the bench to use it and even if you pushed it back it would then be within reach of the breakfast bar side.

Has there been any discussion on the safety of having a steaming wand in a household environment? (Given the combination of electricity, roasting, plumbing, high pressure, etc on the site the words burn and safety in a search produce hundreds of hits.)

What happens with boiler machines - does a valve discharge the steam when turned off or do you have stored pressure?

Does anyone have any bright ideas for making the mix of steam and children safer or is it just the old eternal vigilance?

[Coffee2Di4]

Re: steam safety

Hi Cafeol - I have a 6910 and almost 3 year old son and a 7 year old daughter (hence my need for good coffee!)

I have the 6910 sitting at the back of the bench all the time other than when I steam my milk, when I tip it slightly backwards and use the wheels on the back of the machine to pull it forward and do my steaming - I only bring it forward about half way up the bench when I steam, but put the steam wand on about a 45 degree angle when Im steaming. Once Ive finished steaming and have cleaned the wand and finished with the machine, I move it to the back of the bench again.

That way, at all times other than when Im steaming, its out of reach of the children or at least at a great enough distance even when Im steaming that the heat from the steam has dissipated enough not to burn.

[Dennis]

Re: steam safety

Interesting question.  

HX machines do have stored steam immediately available at the turn of a knob or flick of a lever (its what they do).  Dual purpose boilers generate steam on command (flick a switch).  Either machine should always be approached with care - just like a recently boiled kettle.  They can get hot in more places than the steam wand.

I guess you could build a simple barrier that could stand in front of the machine.

EDIT: At 3yo my dtr reached past a coffee cup for a piece of cake and tipped the cup over. Instantly blistered and a trip to the hospital. So, whatever you do, vigilance IS the answer.

[C-Train]

Re: steam safety

Natural selection.

[GrindOnDemand]

Re: steam safety

... or is it just the old eternal vigilance?

Yep ... hazards will always abound.

[Thundergod]

Re: steam safety

The wand gets quite hot on the 6910, but the steam itself, from a few inches away, isnt scalding.
This is something that was demonstrated to me on my barista course using a commercial machine.
My Expobar is the same.

I can put my hand into the steam cloud and move it very close to the wand before the heat is noticeable.

[caffeol]

Re: steam safety


That ones good to know TG but I dont think Ill demonstrate it to my better half with little eyes around.

I had forgotten about the wheels Hoyks. We might do that when the machine is on with visitors in the house.

[A_M]

Re: steam safety

Natural selection.

Darwin Awards... Some are just too far out there, to believe; but then fact is often stranger than fiction.

[scoota_gal]

Re: steam safety

Ive got a set of flipcards at work...theyve got all sorts of great things on them...one of them comes to mind reading this thread...

It has a picture of a mum on the phone and her two kids in the background.

The caption is...

"Ive childproofed the house. But they still get in!"

;D

[Thundergod]

Re: steam safety

I was steaming some creases out of a polo top this morning.
Just with the steam shot of the iron, no pressing.

Damn near burned myself with the rising steam from the iron.  

[Coffee2Di4]

Re: steam safety

Serves you right for calling it a polo top rather than a polo shirt...it probably got offended, spoke to the iron and together they got their revenge!

;D