Kitchen Safety
Preparation:
- Prepare your cooking area.
- Use Back Burners, or turn pot handles towards the back of the stove.
- Move things that can burn away from the stove.
- Keep a timer handy and use it when you're roasting or baking.
Frying:
- Frying poses the greatest risk of life.
- Keep an eye on what you fry.
- Start with a small amount of oil and heat it slowly.
- If you see smoke or the grease starts to boil in the pan, turn the burner off.
- Even a small amount of oil in a pan can start a fire.
Safeguards:
- Stay awake and alert while you're cooking.
- Stand by your pan.
- If you leave the kitchen, turn the burner off.
- Keep a large pan lid or baking sheet nearby in case you need to smother a pan fire.
Burn Prevention
- Prevent burns when you're cooking.
- Wear short sleeves, or roll your sleeves up.
- Don't lean over the burner.
- Use potholders and oven mitts to handle hot or steaming cookware.
- Children need constant adult supervision.
- If you have young children in your home, keep them three feet from anything that can get hot, including the stove.
- Put hot objects and liquids beyond a child's reach.
- Never hold a child while you cook.
Serving:
- Keep safety in mind when serving.
- If you burn candles, keep them out of reach of children and away from anything that can burn.
- Consider using flameless candles that are lit by battery power instead.
- Food warmers and slow cookers get hot.
- Place them towards the back of the serving table so they won't get knocked off.
- Provide hot pads to prevent burns.
- Light the chafing dish fuel can after it is placed under the warmer.
- Make sure nothing comes in contact with the flame.
- If young children are in your home, supervise them and keep matches ands lighters locked away.
Information thanks to the U.S. Fire Administration.