Making your kitchen a safe place to work

How safe is the room where we spend so much of our time?
When we think of the typical household kitchen, we think of these areas as places where meals are prepared and the after dinner messes are cleaned up. It’s a place where our cooking appliances transform produce and other groceries into delicacies. It’s a place where we store and utilize a number of different shapes and sizes of pots and pans.

Appliances such as stoves, microwaves, garbage disposals, dishwashers, automated coffee makers, electric knives, bread machines, icemakers and every imaginable cooking gadget that you can think of, supposedly making our lives less hectic and easier, live here.

But the kitchen is much more then just a handy place to prepare and serve meals. It’s often used for private family discussions and a place where genuine time together with our loved ones can take place. It’s a place where we can glance out the window and safely check in on our children as they play in the yard or see what a neighbor is up to.
But how safe is this room where we spend so much of our time?

Being Ready for the Unthinkable
Many household fires originate in the kitchen and therefore require special attention and planning to prevent or properly extinguish a household fire should one ever occur. The following fire safety practice tips should be followed when using the kitchen:

Wear close fitting clothes when using the stove to reduce the chances of overturning a pot handle or catching your clothing on fire. Clothing that hangs down off the arm can accidentally catch fire while reaching over activated burners. This is especially true if you are wearing nightgowns or bathrobes while cooking.

Properly fitting lids should be accessible when cooking. Even if you’re not going to use a lid, you should have quick access to one in case of a grease fire. Smothering flames with the use of a lid when a fire is concentrated inside of a frying pan is the most effective way of extinguishing it.

Never attempt to transport or move a pan that is burning. Immediately turn off burners and smother the fire by placing the lid over it. Transporting a pan that is engulfed in flames can potentially spread the fire quickly if the contents are spilled.

Never attempt to extinguish a grease fire with water. This will only splatter and spread the flames. Immediately turn burners off and smother the fire with a lid. If a lid isn’t available, use a dampened cloth or dishtowel.

Store a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Before purchasing portable fire extinguishers for your home, check to be sure that it is the proper type.

Kitchen areas should be equipped with working smoke detectors and these should be tested annually. Never borrow batteries from smoke detectors to use for other appliances.

Flammable Materials and Use of Stoves
There are a number of ways that you can reduce the chances of a fire occurring in your kitchen. One area is to remove flammable materials that could come in contact with flames or other hot items.

The following list of suggestions and recommendations can provide you with some good ideas in reducing the likelihood of kitchen fires:

  • Store towels, curtains and other combustible items away from your stove area.
  • Clean your stove and oven regularly to reduce the buildup of grease.
  • Ventilation and stove exhaust filters should be cleaned regularly to reduce grease buildup and to enhance proper ventilation.
  • Metal objects should not be placed in microwaves during use.
  • Ovens should be cleaned regularly to remove excessive amounts of grease buildup.

Kitchen Utensils and Appliances
There are numerous kitchen utensils that pose the risk of injury to you and your loved one. Be sure that kitchen appliances are securely stored after being used. Pay special attention to appliances that have moving parts such as blenders, mixers, electric knives and garbage disposals.

The following safety practice tips can provide additional safeguards against kitchen accidents:

  • Appliances that are not being used should be unplugged and securely stored.
  • Appliances should never be used around sink areas as they pose a high risk of electrocution should they come in contact with water. Electrical outlets around and near kitchen sinks should be equipped with Ground Fault Safety Interrupters.
  • Be sure that appliance cords are not left out in busy areas where one can trip or fall over them. Loose cords on counter tops should be removed when not in use to reduce the chances of being pulled off.
  • Toasters or other electrical appliances should be unplugged first before removing jammed items. Never attempt to free up jammed items while appliances are plugged in.
  • Kitchen knives or other sharp instruments should be securely stored.
  • Are you careful not to place metals or foil in the microwave?
  • Plan Ahead. Before transporting hot dishes, be sure that table hot pads are already in place. Attempting to juggle hot dishes in one hand while getting out hot plates to set them on with the other hand can be dangerous.


Trip and Fall Hazards
Kitchen areas usually are full of counter top or cabinet doors that have sharp or pointed edges. These edges can cause serious injury to you or your loved one and should be covered with protective edge guards. Protective guards are usually very inexpensive and can be mounted very quickly.

Floor areas in the kitchen should also be evaluated to ensure that floor mats or other coverings are tightly secured. Carpet mats or throw rugs should be secured with adhesive tape to prevent them from moving. Be sure to replace the adhesive backing as necessary.

If you need assistance reaching into high and difficult cabinets be sure to use a step stool. Chairs or other pieces of furniture that are used as substitutes may not support your weight or may even move while reaching. Many types of step stools are available on the market today and I recommend one that has an extended handrail alongside to provide you with extra support and balance.