Fire Prevention Week – Kitchen Fire Safety
It is Fire Prevention Week! The National Fire Protection Association announced that this year’s theme is Kitchen Fire Safety. Please check out their website for Fire Prevention Week materials for educating those in your home about fire prevention. Following this year’s theme, we are going to list a few tips here for fire prevention in your home or office.
Keep Children Away from Cooking Appliances
With so much heat and open flames, the kitchen appliances should be off-limits to young children. Children should be told to keep their distance from active appliances in the kitchen. This will help reduce the likelihood of injury to children as well as potential accidents. Show them the areas they are not allowed in while you are cooking.
Do not Cook Under the Influence
Accidents happen in the kitchen! But Fire Prevention Week seems like a good time to bring up that cooking under the influence increases your chances drastically. Do not cook while inebriated or under the influence of heavy prescription drugs that can make you drowsy. Your judgment and coordination are off when you are impaired, and you can forget something in the oven or on the stove. Careless cooking can be deadly. Fires and injuries are more likely. After a night out, order take out!
Focus on Cooking and Keep Organized
Do not walk away from your cooking! Multitasking is not a good idea. According to the NFPA’s Fire Prevention Week website, unattended cooking is one of the leading causes of fire in the kitchen. It may seem harmless to “shut your eyes for a minute” or do some other housework, but you should always be within sight and hearing distance of the oven or stove while it is on. Be sure to keep a lid nearby if a fire does break out. You can quickly cover your dish and deprive the fire of oxygen. Keep the area you are cooking in clutter-free. Anything flammable should be kept well away from the stovetop.
Create Good After Cooking Habits
Having good after cooking habits is as important as during cooking habits. If you use a small appliance like a toaster, unplug it afterward. This will prevent the appliance from shorting and starting a fire while you are not using it. When you turn off the stove, make sure all nobs are set completely to the off position. Keep your stove and oven clean of grease and debris. These things are combustible and can catch on fire the next time you use the appliance. The same principles can be applied to commercial kitchens.
Set Timers and Alarms
Smoke alarms are usually brought up in some capacity during Fire Prevention Week because they are important. Never disable smoke alarms while you are cooking. They are there to serve a purpose. Instead, open a window and supply the proper ventilation to the area. Set alarms for when your food is done cooking or when to check it again. If you get distracted or are cooking other things, the alarm will remind you to check on your food.
Fire Prevention Week is all about bringing awareness to fire dangers. The majority of home fires start in the kitchen, so it is only appropriate that this year’s theme is dedicated to kitchen fire safety. Keep the kitchen safe at your home or office by keeping good fire prevention practices in mind. If you need a fire protection system for your business, give Valley Fire Protection & Plumbing a call, and we can get you started on an estimate!
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