Basic kitchen safety tips: food safety tips

Following safety measures while cooking food in a kitchen is an important aspect

A kitchen can turn a chaotic and an unsafe place as we not only deal with hot surfaces but also boil liquids and work with sharp knives, harmful utensils and machinery. All these objects when not used carefully can cause a lot of chaos. One has to be careful about aspects like electrical and grease fires, scalding, food safety and preparation, cleanliness, handling hot items like water, hot pans, etc., electrical safety, handling small appliances and child proofing your apartment and kitchen.

Apart from these hazards, a kitchen is also a place which can cause foodborne illness. A kitchen can be a highly effective environment where bacteria thrive on food in abundance. You can reduce the risks and hazards that you are likely to face in a kitchen by following the below steps;

• Ensure that all the wires, cords and plugs of your appliances are not frayed and have 3-prong grounded connections.
• Avoid using extension cords and instead use a junction box with built-in GFI (ground fault interrupters). This will help during a power shortage and also avoids water/electrical shock accidents.
• Keep wet hands away from electrical outlets.

• Avoid having any appliance that is broken or damaged and avoid buying broken appliances.
• Turn the handles of pots and pans inward so you do not knock them off and spill.
• Keep the loose clothes, long sleeves and long hair away from hot burners along with dish towels and pot holders. Avoid loose-fitting clothing.
• Once you’ve finished cooking, always make sure that all oven and stove dials are turned off. Also ensure that you never leave food unattended when cooking.
• Do not store combustible items on the stove (eg. potholders, hand towels etc.).
• Avoid overloading electrical outlets.

• Make sure that you have an all- purpose extinguisher nearby.
• Have a ventilated kitchen to prevent the build-up of carbon monoxide from gas cooking appliances.
• Keep your kids and pets outside your kitchen.
• Avoid cooking in a hasty manner.
• Keep away furniture, stools, chairs and other propping objects away from the counter tops and stoves.

• Keep all the electrical cords from kitchen appliances tied up and placed as far away as possible from your child’s reach.
• Make use of hot pads often.
• Keep all the cleaning chemicals and medications in a safe place away from the child’s reach.
• Know the techniques of cooking and stir the food away from your body also, learn to use sharp objects and other items carefully.
• Stay away from steam and be careful while lifting steam producing objects.
• Keep all the hot objects away from your children.
• Instruct your child to stay away from hot objects.
• Keep all the sharp objects like knives and others away from your child and avoid using tablecloths as children might pull them.
• Make use of childproof door latches on all kitchen cupboard doors and cover all the electrical outlets with protective covers.
• Make sure that you keep a fire extinguisher in or near the kitchen, but not near the stove or the heater. Also keep other flammable objects like mosquito repellents, cockroach repellents and others away from the stove, as keeping them closer to the fire can lead to an explosion.
• Keep all emergency numbers closer to you.

Lastly, make sure that you keep all the essential tools in your kitchen