Cooking Safety
Cooking is one of the major causes of fires at home. In fact, more than half of accidental fires at home are started when cooking appliances or grills are left unattended.
Follow our cooking safety advice to stay safe in your kitchen at home.
General Cooking Safety
- Avoid leaving children alone in the kitchen when cooking. Keep matches and saucepan handles well out of reach to keep them safe
- Take care if you need to leave the kitchen while cooking. Take pans off the heat or turn them down
- Make sure saucepan handles don’t stick out – so they don’t get knocked off the stove
- Take care if you’re wearing loose clothing – this can easily catch fire
- Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob
- Double check the cooker is off when you’ve finished cooking
Cooking with Electricals
- Keep electric leads and appliances away from water
- Check toasters are clean and placed well away from curtains, kitchen roll and any other flammable items
- Keep the oven, hob and grill clean and in good working order. A build-up of fat and grease can ignite a fire
Deep Fat Fryers
- Take care when cooking with hot oil – it sets alight easily
- Make sure food is dry before putting it in hot oil so it doesn’t splash
- If the oil starts to smoke, it’s too hot. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool
- Use a thermostat controlled electric deep fat fryer where possible. They can’t overheat
- If your pan catches fire, turn off the heat if it is safe to do so and never throw water over it
Cooking Outdoors
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol if you are in charge of the barbecue or any cooking
- Keep a bucket of water, sand or a garden hose nearby for emergencies
- Follow the safety instructions provided with disposable barbecues
- Never use a barbecue indoors
- Never use petrol or paraffin to start or revive your barbecue; use only recognised lighters or starter fuels
- Never leave a barbecue unattended
- Make sure your barbecue is well away from sheds, fences, trees, shrubs or garden waste
- Empty ashes onto bare garden soil, not into dustbins or wheelie bins. Hot ash can melt plastic and cause a fire
