Most of us spend some time in our kitchen even if it’s only to make the morning coffee or heat up yesterday’s leftovers.
Injuries can occur very quickly, particularly when we’re not paying attention. Many modern homes have a television set in the kitchen which can distract us while we’re cooking. We are also prone to taking short-cuts that can lead to serious accidents.
Although it’s only common sense, reading the following will serve as a reminder to be careful when working in the kitchen.
- Clean up spills as soon as they happen. Even small puddles of liquid can cause you to slip and fall. Leaving spills on counter-tops can cause cross-contamination. A quick easy solution is to run a half a lemon across the affected area. The acidity of the lemon kills bacterial almost instantly.
- Never leave a cooking pot unattended. It is easy to forget if you’ve gone to answer the door or the telephone. If you have something cooking and you leave the kitchen, check back frequently. Turning on your timer will remind you.
- If a fire should catch in a pot, quickly cover with a cutting board, a lid or a sauté pan. Cutting off the oxygen will extinguish the fire. Throwing water on it super-heats the water and vaporizes any oils in the cooking pot which then spatter in the immediate area creating the potential for new miniature fires.
- Don’t lean across a burner. Your clothing can easily catch fire while you’re attention is elsewhere.
- Use a colander when straining vegetables or pasta. Holding back the food with the lid while pouring the water out can cause the steam to burn your hands.
- Avoid wearing loosely fitted clothing while cooking. Sleeves, sashes and shirt tails can get caught on knobs or catch fire.
- Use oven-mitts or pot-holders, not a dish-towel when removing pots from the stove or oven. The latter can catch fire and does not protect your hands adequately.
- When cooking, turn the pot handle sideways to avoid knocking against it accidentally.
- Always use a cutting board. Slicing while the food is in your hand can lead to serious cuts.
