Unattended cooking and kitchen fire hazards are the leading cause of household fires, and learning how to reduce the risks is an essential art. Reading manuals and other kitchen precautions might not be a priority to many people, but it is among the ways of mitigating fires and accidents in the kitchen. You can cook the food that your family loves and have supervised time with your children in the kitchen. You can contact Edmonton Home Insurance for more details on preventing fire hazards at home; here are 7 helpful cooking safety tips.
• Have a fire safety conversation with your loved ones
Loved ones can be on the receiving end of cooking accidents, especially if they love ignoring cooking instructions, and it might be wise to have a fire safety conversation with them. Flames can be impressive to your young children, and it is better if they understand that fires can be dangerous. They should keep the pans on the shelves to prevent accidental knocking on them.
• Wash hands
Your child should be aware of when to wash their hands and the correct procedures as this is important for kitchen hygiene. It is a better way of preventing food poisoning and cross-contamination in the kitchen.
• Wipe messes and spillage immediately
Spills can be a huge risk, especially on electrical devices, as they can result in short-circuiting. When the children are still young, you can wipe the spillage and teach them as they grow on the importance of cleaning spills immediately.
• Have appropriate clothes
When in the kitchen, you can roll up your sleeves and put on the apron, and use oven mitts when necessary. Anybody in the kitchen should not have dangly jewelry and loose sleeves; moreover, it is wise to have it tied back if you have long hair. When cooking, you can have flat shoes which make you comfortable, barefoot can predispose you to accidents from hot spills on the floor.
• Store food correctly
Store cooked food at 0-5 degrees to prevent bacteria from thriving. An organized fridge does not cause cross-contamination. It will have air space between the storage containers that make the fridge aerated.
• Create off-limit utensils for young children
Young children should not handle dangerous kitchen items like knives and electrical equipment. You can explain the dangers of off-limit equipment and gradually teach them how to handle them correctly till you are confident of their skills.
• Teach children basic first aid
Show the children when to use plasters and where to store them and treat burns by running cold water. It is wise if the children know they can call 911 in case of a fire or dangerous accident in the kitchen.
The Bottom Line
Kitchen accidents are hard to prevent, but you can learn some cooking safety tips to prevent accidents in your home. If you want to enjoy cooking your favorite dishes with your children, you can incorporate safety tips by creating off-zone equipment until confident in their skills. You can have fire extinguishers in the kitchen and let the children learn how to handle kitchen accidents and the importance of wiping spillage immediately.