The government plans to order a review of building regulations which could see all new or converted private properties fitted with a safety device to control the temperature of water in showers, baths and basins.

The new rules to stop bath-time burns could come into force as early as 2006. In the meanwhile, the government is asking for views on their plans to reduce the number of accidents in hot baths and showers.

Every year around 20 people die as a result of scalds in hot bath water and another 570 people suffer serious injuries.

Young children and older people are most at risk because their skin is thinner and less tolerant of hot water. More than 400 very young children are seriously injured every year, leaving toddlers facing years of painful skin grafts.

Government Minister Phil Hope said: "Safe water temperatures are essential since most accidents occur with the young, elderly or infirm either getting or falling into baths that are initially too hot, or in topping up with hot water."

Building regulations are overseen by building control inspectors working for local councils and it is by this route that the government plans to enforce the new rules. The regulations over safe water temperatures could come into force early in 2006.

Actress and scald victim Amanda Redman, now a patron of the Children's Fire and Burn Trust, welcomed the prospect of new, tougher regulations saying, "Parents can minimise the risk of scalding by closely supervising bath-time, so that a child has no opportunity to turn on the hot tap while their parent is distracted.”

"However,” she continues, “the most effective safety measure is the installation of a thermostatic control device to regulate the bath water outlet temperature to reduce the risk of severe scalding."