Home     About BI     Volunteer     Make A Gift     Special Events     Careers     Contact

---

Select Fact Sheet Campfires Candles Canyons Children Playing with Fire Childrens' Sleepwear Christmas Trees Cooking (Stoves & Microwaves) Electrical (Christmas Lights) Family Escape Plans Fire Extinguishers Fire Pits & Coals Fireplaces/Chimneys/Wood Stoves Fireworks First Aid for Burns Gasoline Grilling Halloween Safety Home Safety Heating Hotels/Motels Inhalation Injuries Kitchen Safety Residential Sprinkler System Recreational Vehicles Scald Burns Security Bars Smoking Smoke Detectors Sun Safety Turkey Fryers Types of Burns Vehicle Fires/Gas & Fuel Safety Wildfire

Kitchen Safety

The kitchen is one of the most popular rooms in the home. However, it can also be the most dangerous room when it comes to accidents with fire.

Safety Tips:

• CONTINUOUS and adequate supervision of children in the kitchen is of prime importance.
• Cooking fires are the leading cause of fire injuries among older adults:
  
• Cook on back burners.
• Turn pot handles to the back of the stove so they won’t be knocked off or pulled down.
• Wear clothing with tight-fitting sleeves – dangling sleeve can catch fire easily.
• Keep stove surfaces free of clutter and grease build-up.
• Keep flammables, such as towels, pot holders, and loose clothing away from the oven.
• Check electrical appliances, plugs, and cords for exposed wires or frayed ends – replace if needed.
• Use a timer to remind yourself to turn off your appliances.
• If a fire starts in a pan on the stovetop, carefully place a lid over the burning pan, and then turn off the burner. NEVER pour water on an oil or greased fire.
• As a child’s mobility and curiosity increases, appropriate supervision is always important.
• Keep the child at a safe distance from all hot items by suing playpens, high chairs, etc.
• Create a safe zone for children!
• Keep all hot items at a safe distance from a child.
• Test all heated food before giving it to a child or placing it within their reach.
• Never leave food being cooked unattended.
• Keep pot handles toward the back of the stove.
• Use pot mitts when picking up pots and secure loose sleeves with an elastic band or wear shirt-sleeved garments while cooking.
• Maintain an approved fire extinguisher easily accessible on the kitchen wall.
• Extinguish pan fires by sliding a lid over the pan and turning the burner off.
• When using the microwave ovens, and other appliances, read and follow the directions in the appliance manual and on the food package or container. Use caution when removing coverings on food heated in a microwave.
• Store all detergents, cleaning agents, bleach and other chemicals in an area that is not accessible to children, however use caution when storing or retrieving chemicals on upper shelves. All such chemicals should have secured lids that will limit the risk of injury.
• When purchasing chemicals for home, check the contents on the label and avoid chemicals which have a high risk potential.

Facts and Figures:

• Children under the age of two are typically injured as the result of some other person’s activities.
• Adults, especially the elderly, may encounter situations, which present a burn risk as a result of not knowing that such a risk may exist.
• Injuries can be prevented and the risk-producing situations controlled.