Kitchen safety

How to cook safely

• Take extra care if you need to leave the kitchen whilst cooking - take pans off the heat or turn them down to avoid risk of overheating
• Make sure saucepan handles don’t stick out – so they don’t get knocked off the stove
• Take care if you’re wearing loose clothing – it can easily catch fire
• Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob
• Spark devices are safer than matches or lighters to light gas cooker, because they don’t have a naked flame
• Double check the cooker is off when you’ve finished cooking

Take care with electrics

• Keep electrics (leads and appliances) away from water
• Check toasters are clean and placed away from curtains and kitchen rolls. Do not use them under overhead kitchen units
• Keep the oven, hob and grill clean and in good working order. A build up of fat and grease can ignite a fire
• Fire blankets are used to put out a fire or wrap a person whose clothes are on fire. They are best kept in the kitchen

Top tip

Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob. Keep matches and saucepan handles out of their reach to keep them safe. 

Deep fat frying

• Take care when cooking with hot oil – it sets alight easily
• Make sure food is dry before putting it in hot oil so it doesn’t splash
• If the oil starts to smoke – it’s too hot. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool
• Use a thermostat-controlled electric deep fat fryer. They can’t overheat

What if a pan catches fire

• Don’t take any risks. Turn off the heat if it’s safe to do so. Never throw water over it, or use a wet teatowel
• Don’t tackle the fire yourself

The devastation caused by a kitchen fire.