- Fires at home often start in the kitchen when people aren't careful.
- It's important to know how to be safe when cooking and what to do if a fire starts.
How to cook safely
- Stay focused when you're cooking.
- If you need to leave the stove, turn off the heat or move the pans away.
- Be careful with loose clothes because they can catch fire.
- Don't cook if you've had alcohol or medicine that makes you sleepy.
Cooker and toaster safety
- Make sure the handles of the pots don't stick out over the edge of the stove.
- Always check that the cooker is off when you're done cooking.
- Don't let tea-towels hang over the cooker and don't put oven gloves on a hot cooker.
- Keep the oven, stove and grill clean to avoid fires.
- Make sure the toaster is clean, away from curtains and empty the crumb tray often.
Cooking with oil
- Be extra careful when you are frying or cooking with oil because hot oil can catch fire.
- Don't fill a chip pan or other fryer more than one-third full of oil.
- It's safer to use a fryer with a thermostat instead of an old chip pan.
Dealing with a fire
- If a pan catches fire in your kitchen, don't move it because it will be very hot.
- Turn off the heat if it's safe but don't lean over the pan to reach the controls.
- Don't use a fire extinguisher on a pan of oil because it can make the fire bigger.
- Never use water on chip pan fires as this will cause a big fire. Instead, get everyone out, and close the kitchen door.
- If an electrical appliance catches fire, don't throw water on it. If it's safe, you can put out the fire by pulling the plug out or switching off the power.
- If the fire doesn't go out, get out of the house, stay out and call 999.
Fire safety equipment
- Don't put a smoke alarm in a kitchen or bathroom where it could be set off by cooking fumes or steam.
- If your smoke alarm goes off a lot by mistake, you can buy one that has a 'hush' button. This button lets you silence it instantly.
Ventilation equipment
Regularly check that the ventilation in your kitchen, like range hoods or fans, is working properly and is not blocked. This is especially important if you have a gas cooker in case any gas leaks.
Cooker cut off devices
- A kitchen fire can cost a lot of money or even your life.
- Buying a stove guard or cooker cut off device could help keep you, your family and your home safe.ld help keep you, your loved ones and your home safe.