Kitchen Safety
Why is safety in the kitchen
important?
No one likes to cut a finger on a knife, get
burned or slip and fall. Most of us,
however, have had one or more of these
accidents. SAFETY in the kitchen means
using precautionary methods in the kitchen
to prevent an accident. Most accidents in
the kitchen are due to carelessness.
SAFETY first. How much do you already know about kitchen safety?
For each question below, decide whether the practice is safe or
unsafe. Click the box next to each question to reveal the answer.
UNSAFE
1. Use a towel or your apron to remove a pan from the oven.
SAFE
2. Pour salt or baking soda over the flames of a grease fire.
SAFE
3. Wipe up spills on the floor right away.
UNSAFE
SAFE
4. Pour water on a grease fire.
5. Tie back long hair.
UNSAFE
6. Climb up on the counter to get items from the top shelf.
UNSAFE
7. Use electric appliances with wet hands.
UNSAFE
8. Wearing loose clothing while working in the kitchen.
SAFE
UNSAFE
9. Cut away from your body when using a sharp knife.
10. Keep cabinet doors open so everything is in easy reach.
Kitchen Safety Tips for
Preventing
Burns/Fires
Preventing
Falls
Preventing
choking
Preventing
Cuts
Preventing
Electric Shock
Where’s the Hazard?
General Safety Guidelines
• Pay Attention!
• Do not let hair, jewelry, sleeves dangle –
catches fire or get tangled in appliances.
• Keep your mind on what you’re doing.
• Prevent clutter – Clean up as you go and
put things away.
• Close drawers and doors.
General Safety Guidelines
• Keep pets away from stove
• Make sure to keep matches and lighters
out of the hands of children. Put them in
high places where tiny hands can't get to
them
• Avoid keeping anything above the stove
• Do not keep matches where children can
reach them
General Safety Guidelines
• Walk in the kitchen no running
• Make sure you check your fire or smoke
detector at least once a month
• Never allow baby walkers in the kitchen
• Know where your shut off valves are in the
house
• Use back burners
General Safety Guidelines
• Use the right tool for the job.
• Store heavy or bulky items on low shelves.
• Create a kid free zone in kitchen while
cooking
• Foods in microwave heat up at different
temperatures –mix thoroughly to prevent
burning
Safety in the Kitchen
Keys to preventing kitchen accidents are:
• careful kitchen management
• safe work habits
KITCHEN HAZARDS INCLUDE
Falls
Cuts
Electrical shock
Choking
Strains
Poisoning
Fires and Burns
FALLS
Preventing Falls
• Tips
•
•
•
•
Keep floors clean and clutter free
Get rid of slippery throw rugs
Repair damaged flooring
Foot gear is proper- no floppy slippers,
tie shoes, flip-flops, or open-toed shoes
• Dispose of broken glass right away
• Use a footstool to get to high places,
not chairs
• Treating Falls
• Leave person on floor if anything
seems to be broken
• Get help
CUTS
Preventing Cuts
Tips
•
•
•
Treatment for cuts
Keep Knives sharp and use
• Clean cuts by running
proper technique
under warm water
Don’t cut with slippery/oily
– Apply pressure if
hands
bleeding is heavy
Use a cutting board with a
• Apply antibacterial
damp cloth underneath
crème or spray
Wash knives separately
• Bandage with clean
Don’t try to catch a falling knife
gauze or band-aid
•
•
• Keep fingers away from rough
surfaces, slicing edges and
rotating beaters
• Sweep up glass immediately
with broom and dustpan
Consumer product safety commission
estimates over 137,000 people receive
hospital treatment for injuries from
kitchen knives each year.
ELECTRICAL SHOCK
Preventing Electrical Shock
Tips
Treatment
• No aluminum foil or any metal in • Unplug appliance
the microwave
• Do not touch appliance or
• Don’t plug in several appliances
person
at once
• Notify adult
• Always unplug appliances after
use
• Make sure hands are dry when
dealing with electric appliances
• Keep all electrical appliances
and cords away from water
• Do not remove items from a
toaster with a metal object.
– GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit interrupter)
outlets should be used in kitchens. If there is
a surge or short in the appliance, wiring or
plug, the GFI will shut down the power.
Preventing CHOKING
Tips
Treatment
• Chew with your mouth closed • Apply Heimlich maneuver
• Don’t talk and laugh with your • Call 911
mouth full
• Don’t play with your mount
food
• Chew your food thoroughly
before swallowing
Preventing STRAINS
Definition: to impair, injure, or weaken (a muscle,
tendon, etc.) by stretching or overexertion
Prevention of strains:
– Bend at the knees when
lifting something. This
prevents back strain.
– Always use a cart to
carry heavy things in
the kitchen.
POISONING
Preventing Poisoning
Hazardous Chemicals:
– Cause burns, breathing difficulties and poisoning.
– Read labels.
– Never transfer hazardous products to another
container.
– Never mix different chemical products.
– Never mix compounds such as bleach/ammonia.
– Use charcoal / BBQ outside ONLY – gives off carbon
monoxide.
FIRES AND BURNS
Preventing Burns
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Tips
Keep hair tied back
Always use oven mitts
Turn panhandles inward
Tilt pot lid away from face to
prevent burns from steam
Clean grease and bits of food
off oven
Never try to move or carry a
burning pan
Pull oven rack out with hot
pads
Do not use wet/damp hot
pads
Treating Minor burns
• Run under cool water
• Apply lotion, moisturizer or
burn crème
• Cover loosely with clean
gauze
Preventing Fires
• Never throw water, flour or baking powder on a
grease fire.-will cause it to explode
• Use baking soda, salt or extinguisher
• Do not turn on the exhaust fan over the stove-the fire
into the walls of your home!
• Keep combustible materials away from stoves or other
heat sources (Paper towels, cookbooks, dishtowels)
• Make sure knobs are turned in off position at all times on
stove.
• Keep towels and other materials away from heating
elements
How to Handle Kitchen Fires
How to use a fire extinguisher:
Check the gauge to see if there is
enough pressure in it to get the
chemicals out to stop the fire.
Use the PASS system:
Pull the pin
Aim it at the base of the fire
Squeeze the handle
Sweep the stream side to side at the
base of the fire.
Pan Fires
• slide lid over top
• Turn off oven
• Leave pan at stove
Oven Fires
• Turn off heat and keep
the door closed
• Call fire department to
report the fire
• Have appliance
serviced before you use
it again
Toaster or Microwave Fires
• Keep door closed
• Unplug appliance
• Call fire department to
report the fire
• Have appliance serviced
before you use it again
If YOU Catch on Fire
Stop
Drop
Roll
What is important to have in a
kitchen in case of an
emergency or to help detect an
emergency?
First aid kit
Emergency numbers
Fire extinguishers
Fire and smoke detectors
STATISTICS
• Most fires start in the kitchen than any
other place in the home.
• Cooking fires are the #1 cause of home
fires and home fire injuries
• One person is either burned or scalded
every 25 seconds in the USA
STATISTICS
•
•
There is a noticeable peak in kitchen
fires occurring around 6 p.m.
The most common material ignited in
kitchen fires
1. 37% -oil, fat, grease
2. 13.5 % food, starch, flour
3. 10.3 % plastic
STATISTICS
• Unattended cooking is the leading cause
of home cooking fires
• 2/3 of the time fires start within the first 15
minutes of cooking
• The stove is the #1 fire hazard in the
kitchen
Resources
• American College of Emergency Physicians (2001). First Aid
Manual. New York: Dorling Kindersley Limited.
• Barbie Arnold (2005). Akron, OH: The University of Akron.
• Boy Scouts of America (1996). Safety- Merit Badge Series. Irving,
Texas: Boy Scouts of America.
• Hall, J. (January, 2005). Home cooking patterns and trends.
Quincy, MA: National Fire Protection Association.
• U.S. Fire Administration/National Fire Data Center (Oct., 2004).
• Websites Used:
www.nfpa.org
www.dos.state.ny.us
www.forburns.com/burn_safety.html
www.keepkidshealthy.com