Home Safety

Home Safety

Kitchen pan fire

Kitchen fires kill hundreds of people and injure thousands in North America each year. Most of these fires can be prevented by following these basic fire safety tips.

Don't leave cooking unattended
Never leave food cooking on your stove or in your oven when you leave home. Stay in the kitchen whenever anything is cooking. Turn off stoves and appliances promptly when you're finished using them and unplug electrical appliances when they are not in use. If you must leave the kitchen while cooking, take a potholder as a reminder that you have something cooking on the stove. Many accidental fires start simply because the person forgot they left something on the stove. Don't leave spoons or other utensils in pots while cooking. Turn burners and ovens off when they're not in use.
Keep plenty of sturdy oven mitts or pot holders near your cooking area. Using a wet pot holder can result in a severe steam burn. Do not toss wet foods into deep-fat fryers or frying pans containing hot grease or oil. The violent reaction between the fat and water will splatter hot oil.
Remove the lids from pots of cooking liquids carefully to prevent steam burns. Remember, steam is hotter than boiling water. If a pan of food catches fire, carefully slide a lid over the pan and turn off the burner. It is dangerous to attempt to carry the pan to the sink

Keep appliances clean
Built-up grease catches fire easily. Wipe appliance surfaces after spills and clean stove surfaces and ovens regularly. Don’t forget the range hood and the filter. Grease laden vapors collect here and cool, leaving grease to accumulate over all surfaces. Without cleaning, grease will continue to build up creating a fire hazard.

Wear close-fitting sleeves
Loose sleeves can dangle too close to hot stove burners and catch fire. Protect yourself by wearing sleeves that fit snugly, or by rolling up your sleeves securely when you cook. Don't store things on or above your stove. Clothing can catch fire when you lean over stove burners to reach shelves.

Keep flammable objects clear of the stove pot too close to combustible
Pot holders, dishtowels, and curtains catch fire easily. Keep such items at least three feet (one meter) from your stove.

Don't overload electrical outlets
Plugging too many kitchen appliances, especially heat-producing appliances such as toasters, coffee pots, waffle irons, or electric frying pans, into the same electrical outlet or circuit could overload your circuit, overheat, or cause a fire. Keep heat-producing appliances away from walls or curtains. Replace any frayed or cracked electric cords immediately. Never use appliance cords with a cracked, loose, or damaged plug. Keep your home's fuse or circuit breakers in good working order. If an electrical appliance gets wet inside, have it serviced before using it again.

Operate microwaves safely
Microwave ovens stay cool, but what's cooked in them can be very hot. Use potholders when removing food from microwave ovens. Remove lids from packaged microwave foods carefully to prevent steam burns and test food temperature before eating. In microwave ovens, use only containers designed for microwave use. Do not use metal utensils, pans, or containers in a microwave. Not all foods can be placed in a microwave without modification. Unpeeled potatoes and eggs still in their shell tend to explode when placed in a microwave. Become familiar with the manufactures recommendations and operating instructions.

Turn pot handles inward
A pot handle sticking out over the edge of your stove can be bumped in passing or grabbed by a child. Prevent burns and stovetop fires by always turning pot handles in toward the back of the stove. Enforce a "Kid-Free Zone" to keep children at least three feet (one meter) away from the stove.

Heat oil slowly
Heat cooking oil slowly over moderate heat and never leave hot oil unattended.

If a grease fire starts, smother it
Never pour water on a cooking fire. If a pan of food catches fire, carefully slide a lid over the pan and turn off your stove burner. Keep the lid on until completely cooled. If a fire starts in your oven, close the oven door and turn off the heat source. If the flames do not go out immediately, call the fire department.

Close the door on microwave fires
If anything catches fire in your microwave, keep the door closed and turn off or unplug the microwave. Opening the door will only feed oxygen to the fire. Do not use the oven again until it is cooled off, cleaned repaired and serviced.

Hints:

	DO NOT leave food unattended on the stove. If you must leave the kitchen, take a wooden spoon or a potholder as a reminder.
	DO NOT let grease build up on your stove or oven.
	DO NOT let crumbs build up in your toaster.
	DO NOT cook wearing sleeves that can dangle near the burners.
	DO NOT let curtains hang near your oven or range.
	DO NOT put flammable materials such as pizza boxes in the oven.
	DO NOT use your oven or stove to heat the residence.
	DO NOT overload electrical outlets with plug in appliances.
	Make certain all appliances (coffee pot, oven, etc.) are turned off before you leave the home or go to bed.

HOME FIRE SAFETY CHECKLIST

PRE-FIRE PLANNING	YES	NO
Have you planned at least two ways to get out of every room in your home? Family has an escape plan that all family members are aware of.
Do you keep exit routes clear in your home?
Do you know how to notify your fire department quickly and correctly in case of fire?
Smoke detectors are installed on all levels of the house.
Smoke detectors are tested each month, batteries replaced each year
Family practices a fire drill once each year, and knows safe meeting place.
Everyone knows how to stop, drop and roll in case their clothes catch fire
There is a fire extinguisher of the proper type and size available for the home.
Address is clearly visible from the street.
Access for emergency vehicles is kept clear at all times

ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN	YES	NO
Do you make it a rule never to leave small children alone or unattended?
Do your baby-sitters (and you) know the first rule of safety in fire emergencies? —Get everybody out fast, and don't go back in.
Do you show your baby-sitters the escape routes from your home, and give instructions on the correct way to report a fire?

GOOD SMOKING HABITS	YES	NO
Is smoking in bed strictly against the rule in your home?
Do you always make sure that cigarette, cigar and pipe ashes are completely extinguished before you dispose of them? Before going to bed, be SURE there are no cigarettes still burning.
Are matches kept out of the reach of children? Keep matches and lighters above the "strike zone" (too high for children to reach).
If there are smokers in the family, safe ashtrays are present.
Smokers know to check the furniture for smoldering ashes before going to bed each night.
Smokers do not smoke on sofas, beds or overstuffed chairs when they are sleepy or on medication.

HEATING AND COOKING	YES	NO
Are furnaces, stoves and smoke pipes kept in good repair and located far enough away from combustible walls and ceilings so that they do not create a hazard? Use a fireplace screen to prevent sparks from flying.
If you have portable space heaters in your home do you see that they are properly maintained and located? Keep portable space heaters away from people, curtains, and furniture.
Do you have an annual inspection of your heating system? Have heating equipment checked and cleaned each year.
Do your sleeves get into things when you cook? Wear tight-fitting clothing when you cook.
Can you stop a cooking fire safely? Smother a pan fire with a lid. Never use water. If cooking oil starts to smoke, turn down the heat. Don't throw whatever's handy on the counter, such as dumping flower from the bag, on the fire (explosion!)
Clothes, curtains and furniture is a minimum of 12 inches from baseboard or portable space heaters.
Chimney is inspected each year, and cleaned when appropriate.
Storage is kept away from the furnace
Furnace filters are cleaned often per manufacturers recommendation.
When cooking, pan handles are kept turned in and cords are kept from dangling where children can pull them off.
The family enforces a "kid free" zone in the kitchen when someone is cooking.
When cooking with grease, there is always an appropriate lid for the pan nearby in case of fire.
Clothes with snug fitting sleeves are worn while cooking.
Food is not left unattended while it is cooking. Food is always turned off if the person cooking has to leave the kitchen.

ELECTRICITY	YES	NO
Do you see that extension cords are never run under rugs or hooked over nails? Avoid using extension cords wherever possible (especially small-wired cords use with high-wattage appliances.)
When the breaker "trips" or a fuse blows, do you investigate WHY it happened? If a fuse blows (or a breaker "trips"), find the cause. Remove excess appliances (lamps, stereo components, space heaters, etc.) from a breaker circuit that frequently "trips".
Is the right size fuse (20 amps for lighting circuits) in each socket in the fuse box? Replace the fuse with one of the correct size.
Is your TV well ventilated? Allow air space around the TV to prevent overheating. If it doesn't work right, it can be a fire danger.
Electrical cords are not frayed or worn.
The motors on the refrigerator, dryer, furnace and other electrical appliances are clean of dust and lint.
If an appliance isn't working right, the family stops using it and has it fixed.

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING	YES	NO
The garage, attic, closets and the yard are clear of combustibles like papers, old clothes, furniture and other junk. Sort and remove rubbish. Don't store things near the furnace or heater.
Are gasoline and other flammable liquids stored in safety cans, and kept well away from both heat and children? Move flammable liquids away from heat. Do not store flammable liquids in the home. Keep them stored outside and away from the house in a separate storage building. Don't fill a hot lawn mower or other motor; let it cool first.
Gasoline is never used to start fires or for cleaning purposes.