Family, food, football, parades, and naps all staples of the American holiday we call Thanksgiving. It's a great time for families to just be together, and enjoy one another (or not?). However, house fires are three times more likely to occur on Thanksgiving day than on any other day of the year. Below are some tips to keep you cooking safely this holiday season.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of emergency and know how to use it. Make sure the fire extinguisher is UL Listed and rated for grease and electrical fires. Read the directions carefully before an actual emergency occurs. The acronym P.A.S.S. can help make sure you use it properly.
- Pull the pin; Aim the spray nozzle low at the base of the fire; Squeeze the nozzle to spray the contents;Sweep back and forth as you spray the base of the fire.
- Always keep a potholder, oven mitt and lid handy while cooking. If a small fire starts in a pan on the stove, put on a flame-resistant oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the burner. Don’t remove the lid until the food has cooled.
- When removing lids on hot pans, tilt them away from you to protect your face and hands from steam. If there is an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you or your clothing.
- Never wear loose fitting clothing when cooking. Long, open sleeves could ignite and catch fire from a gas flame or a hot burner. Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. If you have long hair, be sure to tie it back.
- Keep smoke alarms connected while cooking. Smoke alarms can save lives. Make sure smoke alarms are installed and working.
- Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking. Most fires in the kitchen occur because food is left unattended.
- Turn pot handles away. Make sure that young children cannot reach a cooking pot by turning handles toward the back of the stove.
- Unplug small appliances that aren’t in use. Not only will you save the energy, but you will also avoid the potential dangers if they were to be turned on accidentally.
See these tips and more at Safety At Home - UL.
If you will be using a turkey fryer this year, here is a must see video.
