Home-Safe-Home | Your Kitchen Safety Tips

Contents

– Kitchen safety: the danger of fire

– Electrical safety in the kitchen

– The danger of cleaning products

Safety in the kitchen cannot be neglected!

The kitchen is the place responsible for a large number of domestic accidents, especially for children. Some simple safety precautions to take to limit casualties in the kitchen:

Kitchen safety: the danger of fire

Here are some safety tips for applying in your kitchen:

– Turn the tails of pots and pans inward and use the bottom plates preferentially.

– Check that cooking controls are accessible, especially for a gas stove.

– If a pan catches fire, cover it with a damp cloth or a lid more extensive than the pan, but don’t add water!

– Hide your matches! You can even consider anti-tipping guards.

The fire blanket

The fire blanket is the best way to fight a kitchen fire. It allows you to put out a fire and cover a person whose clothes have caught fire.

A fire blanket is a one-time-use item and must be readily available.

Should you have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen?

No law says you must have a fire extinguisher in your home, but ask yourself the question. And then, a piece of advice, reread your insurance policy because the presence of a fire extinguisher is sometimes stipulated, and then, in this case, if you do not comply, you are not insured in case of fire!

However, you should not use a fire extinguisher to put out burning oil. The pressure may disperse the oil and spread the fire. Against burning fat, the fire must be smothered: the best is the fire blanket or a cover.

What type of fire extinguisher to choose?

The major fire risk in a kitchen is the fryer or pan that catches fire. The appropriate type of extinguisher is a CO2 (dry ice) extinguisher. The carbon dioxide gas comes out of the extinguisher at a very negative temperature (-78°C, beware of burns on exit!) and extinguishes oil and electrical fires.

Small size can be sufficient in your kitchen, less bulky and easier to carry.

Attention: remember that the annual verification of the fire extinguishers is mandatory and must be carried out by a competent and qualified company.

Electrical safety in the kitchen

Here are a few tips about the electrical appliances in your kitchen:

– Regularly check the condition of electrical connections to appliances.

– Respect the standards in force relating to the use of electricity and gas in terms of safety. They depend on the size of the kitchen, equipment, and energy used.

– Never place a plugged-in electrical appliance near a water source.

The danger of cleaning products

– Keep all cleaning products out of reach of children. Do not store hazardous products in coloured bottles that could attract your children; bottles with safety caps are much better!

– Teach your children to identify the danger by recognizing the existing pictograms on these products (orange square, flame, skull and crossbones…).

Tip: keep a list of emergency numbers (poison control center, police, doctors) in a prominent place in the house. They can save you precious time in case of an accident!