Kitchens are a warm place where people love to gather. This is where family home-cooked meals are made and coffee is brewed. It’s a safe place where tummies get filled.
Unfortunately, every space has its dangers. Especially the kitchen.
How many times have you accidentally cut yourself with a knife, burnt yourself with boiling water, or almost caused a house fire by not being as careful as you should have been? Setting some kitchen rules can help lessen these accidents.
Here are ways to ensure your safety and the safety of others in the heart of the home! Implement these rules in your own home!
Don’t Become a Statistic
Did you know that most kitchen accidents involve a dull knife? Food Beast says that based on the National Hospital Ambulatory Care Medical Survey knife injuries ranked 5th in the top 10 reasons for ER visits.
Stanford’s Children’s Health says that the leading cause of home fires and related injuries is home-cooking equipment.
Avvo explains that, according to statistics, over 100,000 people are injured yearly in a kitchen-related accident.
These all turn back to cooking in the kitchen. If you’re not careful, the dangers in the kitchen can severely harm you. Lay down the rules. Don’t keep these kitchen rules to yourself, share them with everyone in the house!
Follow these Rules for Kitchen Safety
Here are 17 kitchen safety rules to go by and to share with your family.
- Wear an apron while cooking. Aprons keep your clothes clean. They also keep you safe by protecting you if hot oil splashes up from the pan.
- Wash your hands before cooking. You don’t know what types of germs are on your hands. Get rid of these germs before you start cooking so you don’t get them on your food.
- When using a knife, be extra careful. The Spruce explains how to properly use a knife so you don’t harm yourself.
- Keep your knives sharpened.
- Always use a chopping board, never cut on your hand.
- Use a knife holder. Do not put knives in a drawer.
- When you see a fire from a pot or pan, turn off the heat immediately.
- Have a fire extinguisher ready for action.
- Lower your water heater to 120 degrees. It is usually automatically set to 140 degrees. You have to turn it down so the water doesn’t get so hot that it can burn you.
- Keep a first aid kit in the kitchen for easy access.
- If you have small children around, keep locks on drawers.
- Clean up spills immediately after they happen to prevent slipping and falling.
- Don’t rush while cooking, accidents happen this way.
- Make sure to turn off all kitchen appliances.
- Always use mittens when touching anything hot to protect yourself from burns.
- Don’t lift anything that is too heavy for you or full.
- Stay away from steam. If you are opening up a pot, open it far away from your face and body.
Safety First
Implement these rules into your own home. Share them with your family and anyone else who is cooking in your home. Stay safe cooking!
