Preventing Kitchen Accidents When Preserving Food

Awareness of potential hazards and knowing how to prevent burns, cuts, falls, and fires are the keys to personal safety in the kitchen. These practices may also prevent injury to children or others who are in the kitchen when food preservation is taking place.

Safety around the Stove

Stoves can be a source of fires and burns.

• Never allow pan handles to extend over burners.
• Avoid any pan handle extending over the edge of a stove where a child might grab hold of it and pull the hot contents down.
• Keep hot dishes and pans out of the reach of children.
• Use dry oven mitts or pot holders. A damp or wet pot holder against a hot object will create steam causing serious burns.
• When lifting lids, direct steam away from yourself.
• Keep napkins, towels, plastics, and paper products away from the range or stove.
• Avoid curtains near a stove.
• Never turn on a burner without a pan on it.
• Be aware of the heat from an empty burner after it is turned off such as when you remove a pressure canner from an electric burner for the cool down process.
• Match the size of the burner to the size of the pan to avoid exposed red hot coils.
• Never have the flames of a gas burner go up the sides of a pan.
• Avoid loose fitting clothes and dangling sleeves that could get caught in appliances or brush against a burner and catch on fire.

Knife Safety

• Knives become dangerous when they are used and cared for incorrectly.
• A sharp knife is the safest knife because it requires the least pressure to do its job.
• Keep knife blades and grips clean.
• Wash knives separately from other items in a dishpan—never place a knife in dishwater because it can injure an unsuspecting dishwasher (person) when it is not seen.
• Point the cutting edge away from the hand when wiping blades.
• Lay knives flat and away from counter edges. 
• Do not try to catch a falling knife—pick it up after it has fallen.
• Have a designated storage area for knives that is separate from other utensils and where the knives are individually visible.

Falls, Strains, and Bumps

• Avoid falls by cleaning up messes and spills immediately!
• Use a sturdy step ladder or step stool to reach for those high up things. Don't substitute a chair for a safe ladder.
• When carrying things, make sure the path is clear. Be especially careful when carrying hot liquids.
• Proper lifting techniques prevent back injuries. Bend the knees and use the legs to lift heavy objects. Never lift more than you are capable of.
• Instead of lifting a whole rack of filled jars, use a jar lifter to remove one jar at a time.
• Keep cabinet doors and drawers closed to avoid bumps and pinched fingers.

Kitchen Fires

What would you do in the event of a kitchen fire? Think about possibilities now so that you don't lose precious time if the real thing ever happens.

• If it is possible to safely turn off the electricity or gas feeding the fire, do so. 
• If a pan is on fire, cover the fire with a tight-fitting metal lid or a flat baking sheet to smother the fire. This should be done only if the fire is small.
• Never pour water on a pan fire involving grease. Don't try to carry it to the sink or outdoors.
• If the above methods have failed, use a fire blanket, fire extinguisher, or baking soda to put out the fire.
• When using a fire blanket, cover your hands with it and gently throw the blanket over the fire.
• Fire extinguishers should be sprayed at least one yard from the fire and aimed directly above the fire in the vapor area. Test the extinguisher before approaching the fire. Sweep it from side to side until the fire is out.
• Baking soda should be sprinkled or thrown onto the fire. Baking soda prevents oxygen from reaching the fire. Never throw flour on a fire.

Know When to call 911.

Ask yourself these questions from the Plano, Texas Fire Department to determine if extinguishing the fire on your own is unrealistic or dangerous.

• How large is the initial fire?
• How fast is the fire growing?
• What is feeding the fire?
• Will anything in the proximity of the fire feed it?
• Is there anyone in the home who depends on you to evacuate?

Resources

1. Watts, S., Fire Rescue 1 Editorial Assistant, "How to Put Out a Kitchen Fire", Plano,TX, November 22, 2021.