Top Tips for Fire Safety in the Kitchen

You may have noticed that the name of my blog is Mummy Mishaps. I chose this name for two reasons (way back in 2010): 

1. because I am a mummy
2. because I am clumsy – I am always hurting myself or dropping things etc. 

Hence, Mummy Mishaps was born and it is a name that is very true for me.

I have always been clumsy, waaaaaaay before I became a Mummy and I have the bumps and scars to prove it too. Honesty, I have fallen over while walking along the street before and I often bump into things at home and out and about. However, the one place where I have always had the most ‘mishaps’ is in the kitchen. Makes sense I guess, a place where there are sharp objects, electrical items and hot appliances – it is a danger zone for someone as prone to accidents as me!

Here are the frequent kitchen mishaps that I endure due to my stupidity or clumsiness:

• Burning my hand or arm on the oven shelves as I remove food
• Spilling hot water on myself when I pour water from the kettle to make a cuppa 
• Cutting myself with shape knives while slicing vegetables
• Cutting my finger on the cheese grater
• Getting hot fat on my skin while frying eggs
• Setting fire to the grill when cooking bacon!

Of course, all joking aside the kitchen can be a very dangerous place as more than half of all accidental house fires begin in the kitchen and the most common reason for this is due to people misusing electrical cooking appliances from the microwave to the toaster, and even while making brownies:

In just a matter of seconds a fire could start , putting you and your family in danger.

Here are  Electrical Safety First’s top fire safety tips

Simple tips for kitchen safety

• Don’t leave electrical appliances like dishwashers or washing machines running unattended
• Don’t wrap flexible cables around any equipment when it is still warm
• Check that flexible leads and appliances such as kettles and toasters are in good condition
• Don’t try to repair an appliance when it is still plugged in
• Never try to get toast that is stuck out of a toaster while it is plugged in, and especially not with a metal knife as there are often live parts inside
• Make sure you thoroughly clean your oven and grill – a build up of fat and grease is a major cause of fires
• Check your plug sockets are not overloaded with too many electrical appliances as this can lead to overheating
• Avoid storing objects on top of appliances like the microwave, which can block ventilation
• Defrost your fridge and freezer at least once a year to ensure these appliances continue to work properly
• Make sure you have a working smoke detector in case something does go wrong

By following these easy guidelines, hopefully accidents that happen in the home will be greatly reduced, and aid in preventing the destruction that fire can cause.