Safety in the kitchen

The kitchen can be one of the most hazardous places in the home, so follow these tips:

• Keep pans out of the reach of children.
• Don’t put anything metal in the microwave.
• Keep soft items such as tea towels and cloths away from cookers and toasters.
• Keep the oven, hob and grill clean. A build up of fat and grease can easily catch fire.
• Never leave cooking unattended! A moment's distraction could be all it takes for a pan or grill to catch fire.
• Double check the oven/hob is off when you have finished cooking.
• Take care if you’re wearing loose clothing – they can easily catch fire.

Chip pans

These are one of the most common causes of fire in the home, but if you follow these simple guidelines you'll keep your kitchen safe:

• Dry the food before putting it in the pan and test the temperature of the oil by putting in a small piece of bread. If the bread crisps up quickly the oil is ready.

• Never fill a pan more than one-third full of fat or oil.

• Never leave the pan unattended when the heat is switched on.

• Check the pan handle is not sticking over the edge of the cooker, where it might get knocked off.

• Never put the food in the pan if the oil begins to give off smoke. Turn off the heat and leave the oil to cool, otherwise it could catch fire.

• Fit a smoke alarm on every level of your home and test them once a week.

• If the pan does catch fire, do not move it. Turn off the heat if it is safe to do so, but never lean over the pan to reach the cooker controls. Never throw water onto the fire!

• If you are in any doubt about whether to try to put out a chip pan fire yourself then don't – leave the room, close the door and call the fire brigade.

• Better still use a thermostat controlled electric deep fat fryer, instead of a chip pan, as they can’t overheat.