The kitchen is one of the most regularly used rooms in the house and is used by all family members. It can also be one of the most dangerous rooms in the house. The kitchen is where there is the cooker, electric gadgets, water and electrical appliances which may be left unattended for many hours e.g. a fridge. It is also the central place in the house where food is prepared and eaten by all family members. Design of a kitchen has to be approved by a government body in many countries, and hence the same government can take part in ensuring safety standards. In some countries, it is a requirement to put up fire extinguishers in the kitchen and have ventilation in a specific way. When you are designing the kitchen, necessary precautionary measures should be taken to minimize risks.
Most accidents that may emanate from the kitchen could be attributed to the following:
Negligence on the part of the user especially in the initial design of the kitchen.
Faults in kitchen gadgets like microwaves, electric cookers, fridges, etc.
Mishandling of kitchen equipment like knives, oven grills and mixers.
Disorganization of the kitchen.
Poor methods of food storage.
Poor drainage systems resulting in blockages and backflow of contaminated water.
Poor methods of kitchen waste management.
To avoid problems associated with the kitchen, it is necessary to observe the following tips:
Always consider regular servicing your electrical gadgets used in the kitchen.
Maintain the highest levels of hygiene in the way the food is handled.
Maintain adequate kitchen range venting to improve air quality.
Handle all kitchen tools with extreme caution and away from children.
Always ensure that you turn off any electrical appliances that are not in use
Always ensure that there are no unattended fires in the kitchen.
Make sure you do not place combustibles near a source of heat
Make sure you have a fire extinguisher or fire blanket nearby.
Make sure that your emergency exit door is well accessible
Supervise any children, elderly and sick persons whilst in the kitchen.
Check your clothes when cooking as items such as loose garments may catch fire without you noticing.
Safety measures in the kitchen are very simple to implement. Ignorance and negligence are often the main contributing factors to accidents arising from the kitchen. It may take some extra investment in additional items like a good fire extinguisher and involve frequent servicing of the kitchen gadgets, and buying quality equipment. This small investment is priceless though when considering the safety of your family.
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