FIRE SAFETY IN THE KITCHEN AND HOME

North Tyneside Prevention and Education Department

KITCHEN FIRE FACTS

• The kitchen is the most hazardous room in the house.

• Over 50% of fires start in the kitchen.• Over 70 people will die.• 5000 people will be injured.

• This means that 17 people a day will be killed or injured in kitchen fires.

KITCHEN FIRE SAFETYTHE BASICS

• Keep electrical leads, tea towels and cloths away from the cooker.

• Keep the oven, hob and grill clean. A build up of fat and grease can easily catch fire.

• Do not put anything metallic inside the microwave.

• Take care if you are wearing loose clothing, it can easily catch fire.

COOKING SAFELY

• Do not leave pans unattended. Take them off the heat if you have to leave the room. Fire starts when your attention stops.

• Do not use matches or lighters to light gas cookers. Spark gas igniters are safer.

• Turn pan handles so they do not stick out from the hob.

COOKING SAFELY

• Keep the oven door shut. Do not hang tea towels on the oven handle.

• When you have finished cooking, make sure the cooker/hob is turned OFF.

DEEP FRYING

• Dry food before you put it in hot oil.• Never fill the pan more than one-third full of oil.• If the oil starts to smoke, it is too hot. Turn off

the heat and leave it to cool.• Use a thermostatically controlled electric deep-

fat fryer. They can not overheat.

ELECTRICS

• Do not overload sockets

• Use bank adaptors with fuses

• Do not put cables under carpets

ELECTRICS

• Check for loose wiring, faulty plugs and sockets

• Replace any worn cables

• Unplug electric items if you are not using them

CANDLES

• Keep candles away from curtains or any furniture

• Put candles in proper holders that will not fall over

• Do not put tea lights/candles on baths and tv’s• Do not lean across them – you could set fire to

your clothes or hair

Don’t do this

‘T’ light candles without correct holders caused this

CANDLES

• Always leave at least 10 cm between two burning candles

• Do not put candles under shelves or other surfaces

• Do not move candles when they are burning• Do not leave the room when candles are burning

– put them out• Keep candles out of the reach of your children

and pets

SMOKE ALARMS

• Smoke alarms are cheap, easy to get hold of and, used properly, they are lifesavers.

• A smoke alarm is a warning device that detects smoke at the earliest stages of fire.

• A smoke alarm will wake you up and give you vital extra time to escape

• You are twice as likely to die in a fire at home if you do not have a working smoke alarm

ESCAPE PLAN

• Make a ‘fire action plan’ with everyone in your home, especially children, the elderly and disabled.

• The best escape route is the normal way in and out of your home. - Keep it clear!

• Have a second escape route if the first one is blocked.

• GET OUT, GET THE FIRE SERVICE OUT AND STAY OUT

Any Questions?