Kitchen Safety
You know what it’s like when you are trying to get a meal ready. You have left it a
bit late and you are in a rush. You are trying to get the washing done at the same
time. Or maybe you have been out for the night and you have had a few drinks. The
majority of fire deaths in the Highlands and Islands involve alcohol.
It’s a fact. Nearly two thirds of domestic fires are the result of cooking. The risk increases dramatically if you have been drinking.
Make your kitchen safe!
Fires start when your attention stops. Never walk away while you’re cooking. If you’v e been drinking leave the cooker off!
DEEP FAT FRYING
In some parts of Scotland, 1 house in every 10 will have a kitchen fire in the next 10 years. And deep frying - using fat or oil - is the biggest risk, causing around 9,500 fires a year in the UK. But that doesn't have to happen.
If you must use a deep frying pan:
- turn the pan handle to the side so the fat or oil doesn’t get spilled by accident
- never fill the pan more than one-third full of fat or oil
- make sure chips are dry before putting them into hot fat or oil
- never walk away – not even for a few seconds – when the pan’s on the heat
- never – ever – deep fry with fat or oil when you’ve been drinking alcohol.
ELECTRIC DEEP-FAT FRYER
The best way to avoid having a fire is to use a thermostat controlled, electric deep-fat fryer:
- they are not that expensive – especially when you count the cost of a fire
- they look smart and they’re smaller than you think
- they are much, much safer to use – the safety cut-out (the thermostat) controls the temperature of the fat or oil.
If you must use a deep frying pan and it catches fire:
- never try to move the pan
- never throw water over the pan
- if you can, turn off the heat
- then put a damp towel over the pan to smother the flames
- then wait 30 minutes to let the pan cool down
- phone the fire and rescue service, even if you think you’ve put the fire out.
But if you can’t put out the fire right away:
- get out of the kitchen
- close the door
- phone the fire and rescue service
And it's not just deep fat frying pans that are a risk when you are cooking:
- never walk away from the grill pan when it’s under the heat
- always clean grill pans when you’ve been cooking fatty food
- turn all pan handles to the side so they’re not spilled by accident
- never dry tea towels or cloths on – or above – the cooker
- never trail electrical flexes near cookers
- never put any metal objects inside microwave ovens
- switch off electrical appliances like washing machines and dishwashers at the mains.