Plumb Center, the country's leading plumbers merchant, is supporting calls for new safety measures aimed at cutting bath time scalding injuries to children by making temperature controlled anti-scalding valves available from its 565 locations across the UK.

Labour MP Mary Creagh is currently urging the Government to make anti-scalding water valves compulsory. The MP's private member's bill is asking for an amendment to part G of the building regulations to make the valves compulsory, and has had its first reading in Parliament.

This follows the Scottish Parliament’s decision to make thermostatic mixing valves (TMV2s) compulsory in new or renovated homes north of the border in May this year. Following pressure from the industry body SNIPEF (Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbers Employers Federation), Scotland joined other countries, including Canada, New Zealand and Australia, where the valves are used.

Plumb Center brand director Grant Richardson explains: “Awareness of TMV2s has been steadily growing, resulting in more valves being installed in homes. We're supporting the campaign to enforce the use of TMV2s in England and Wales, because they drastically cut the number of young and elderly people scalded. TMV2s are the answer to stop these wholly preventable accidents.”

The campaign is backed by Age Concern, the British Burns Association, the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT), CFBT, Help the Aged and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).