Lifeskills: Cooking Safely

Kitchen Safety

You will probably use a variety of implements for chopping, cutting, grating, and other food preparation tasks. They will have one or more sharp faces or blades. It is important to take care when using these so that you reduce the risk of cuts and other injuries.

You'll also need to store these items safely so that putting them away, or getting them out, is not too risky. If, for instance, you store sharp knives in a kitchen drawer, it's best to store them with the handle side facing the front of the drawer. Never feel for a knife or tool through a half-opened drawer. You could easily take hold of the sharp end and injure yourself.

Care needs to be taken when washing knives and sharp tools as well. It's not a good idea to put knives and other sharp tools in your sink or washing bowl and then to add water and detergent. The bubbles and froth in the water can obscure what is at the bottom, and you could cut yourself on a blade or sharp edge that is hidden at the bottom of the washing up. Keep the sharp edged tools and knives separate from other utensils waiting to be washed up.

Consider using a brush to clean the sharp parts of the tools, that way you are less likely to come into direct contact with the cutting edges. An old toothbrush could be recycled for this.

When using knives and similar implements to chop or slice food:

• don't cut towards you or towards your fingers
• use one hand to hold the item steady at a point a safe distance away from where you will be cutting it
• don't use a knife if your hands are wet, it could slip in your hand
• don't use blunt knives: they can require more force to cut through foodstuffs and if you slip an injury is more likely.
• if you drop a knife don't try to catch it, step away and then pick it back up carefully by the handle.

When you've finished using the knife lay it down with the blade pointing away from you and well away from the edge of the work surface or table.

The oven and hob, when in use, will become very hot indeed, as will the pans and other utensils you're cooking in. Other appliances can also get very hot.

Turn the handles of saucepans so that they don't stick out over the edge of the hob. They can be jogged and the contents spilled, with risk of scalding. This is especially important with frying pans or chip pans because the oil is also flammable. Also make sure that the handles of pans are not directly over one of the rings of the hob. They could burn you or even catch on fire.

Oven doors should be kept firmly shut except when putting food into the oven or when taking it out of the oven. If the door is left open you won't be able to maintain the correct cooking temperature and your food won't cook properly. The inner surface of the door is likely to be very hot which could cause a burn if you touch it. An open oven door is also a trip hazard: you could bump into it and hurt yourself.

When you are finished cooking make sure that the appliances you have been using are completely turned off. Allow them to cool down before you clean them.

Be cautious using kettles, be sure you can lift the kettle easily and don't travel too far with it. Take the cups to the kettle not the other way around. Don't reach for an item near a boiling kettle because the steam could scald you.

If bread gets stuck in the toaster do not try and prise it out. You could burn yourself and get an electric shock. Turn the toaster off at the plug and wait for it to cool down first.

If you buy a new kitchen appliance it will come with an instruction leaflet or manual. This will include saftey advice. Read the instructions before you use the appliance, follow the safety advice, and keep the leaflet or manual in case you need to refer to it again.

• Electrical leads should not trail on the floor or hang over a work surface.
• Water and electricity are a lethal combination. Make sure cables, leads, and appliances are well away from the sink.
• Turn off appliances that are not in use.
• If an appliance goes wrong do not try and fix it yourself. Check the plug and fuse if you know how to, but leave other maintenance jobs to a specialist.
• Use only one plug in each electrical socket so that you don't overload the socket. If you overload a socket it could blow the electrical circuit or cause appliances to blow a fuse. It is also a fire risk.
• If you have to use an adaptor or extension make sure that it is fused and that the total load is not more than 13 amps.
• Appliances like washing machines and dishwashers use a lot of power and should always go in a socket of their own.

• Never use metallic items or cutlery in a microwave. The same applies to foil containers (used for some takeaway meals for example).
• Keep the oven and hob clean: grease and fat can ignite very easily, especially if you use gas rings.
• Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker as well as paper towels and other flammable items e.g. oven gloves.
• Don't put a toaster near curtains or blinds and don't force thick slices of bread into a toaster - they can become stuck and catch fire. So can loose crumbs in a toaster - clean it out regularly.
• Be careful if you are wearing loose clothing, change clothes before cooking if necessary.
• Most important of all: never leave pots or pans unattended.

• If you deep fry foods make sure the food is dry before you put it in the oil. If you do not, the oil will bubble up and could spill over the sides of the pan or wok. If that happens the oil will catch on fire.
• Chip pans should never be more than one-third full of oil so that they are less likely to overflow. If the pan overflows the oil will catch alight.
• Consider using an electrical deep-fat fryer rather than a chip pan. They have a thermostat which prevents them from overheating.
• If the oil is allowed to get too hot it can catch alight. If oil starts to smoke that means it is getting too hot: turn off the heat and let it cool down.
• Never leave a chip pan unattended.
• No matter how hungry you may feel don't use a chip pan if you have drunk alcohol, if you are drowsy, or if you are feeling the effects of medication.

Protect yourself against fire by fitting a smoke alarm... but do not fit it in the kitchen itself as it could easily be set off accidentally. It is better to fit a smoke alarm in a hallway or adjacent room leading off the kitchen.

Test the alarm regularly (at least once a week).

There are lots of websites with more information about fire safety. You can find details in the Links section of these materials.

Cupboards and drawers should be kept closed at all times, except when getting things out or putting them back in. If you walk into an open cupboard door or drawer you could be injured. The same applies to the doors on appliances like ovens, fridges, washing machines, and dishwashers.

Clean up any spills on the floor: the kitchen floor should always be clear, dry, and clean to avoid the risk of tripping or slipping. Spilled grease or fat can be very slippery, for instance.

It's best not to allow small children into kitchens when there's cooking going on. It shouldn't be a play room and discarded toys are a trip hazard.

Pets should be discouraged from coming into the kitchen because of the hygiene risks and they can get underfoot and trip people up.

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