Cooking Up Holiday Kitchen Safety
 NORTHBROOK, Ill., - Nov. 23, 2004 - With the approaching holidays and the preparation of festive meals, safety experts are warning about the dangers of cooking fires in the kitchen.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, 96,200 home structure fires were associated with cooking equipment. These fires killed 331 people, injured 4,183 others and caused $511.3 million in direct property damage.
"Three out of every 10 reported home fires start in the kitchen, more than any other place in the home," says John Drengenberg, manager of Consumer Affairs for Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), the not-for-profit product safety testing organization. "Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States."
"These fires are caused by unattended cooking and human error, not mechanical failure of stoves or ovens," he emphasizes.
This holiday season, UL and the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers are teaming up to help prevent home cooking fires. They offer these ingredients of kitchen safety, whether you're stirring up a quick dinner or creating a multi-course masterpiece.
- Supervision is key. Never leave cooking food on the stovetop unattended and regularly check food cooking inside the oven.
- Get in the zone. Keep children and pets away from cooking area by creating a 3-foot safety zone around the stove.
- Keep away from the heat. To reduce the chances of bumping pots and pans and spilling their contents, turn panhandles in, but away from hot elements and burners.
- It's not a closet. Never use the oven for storage. The oven can be turned on - burning or damaging the items stored inside.
- Keep it clean. Keep the cooking area clean and clear of anything that can burn - towels, potholders, drapes, food packaging, etc.
- It's made for food. Only use the oven for its intended use. Never use it to heat a room.
- Roll 'em up. Make it a point to wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle onto burners and catch fire.
- Too hot to handle? Use thick, dry, flame-resistant potholders when handling lids and pans. A wet potholder or oven mitt presents a scald danger if the moisture becomes heated.
- Protect your valuables. When removing pot and pan lids, tilt them away from you to protect your face and hands from steam.
- Keep a cool head. In the event of a range-top fire, put on an oven mitt and smother the flames by turning off the burner and carefully sliding a lid onto the pan. Leave the lid in place until well cooled. Never carry the pan outside.
- Water and grease don't mix! Never use water or flour on a grease fire. Doing so can shoot burning grease around the kitchen, actually spreading the fire.
- Use the right tools. If you're familiar with using a multi-purpose fire extinguisher, keep one handy in the event of a grease fire. Inexperienced users, however, can spread the fire. Make sure you know how to properly use a multi-purpose fire extinguisher.
- Prevent flame spread. If you have an oven fire, immediately turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flame spread.
- Call for help. If you can't extinguish the fire yourself, leave your home, call 9-1-1, and wait in a safe place until emergency personnel arrive.
- Life-safety devices a must. Make sure you have working smoke alarms in your home. Never disable smoke alarms and check them regularly.
- Escape plans for everyone. Develop a fire escape plan with family members and make sure all family members know at least two ways out of the home.
- Get out and stay out. Never return to a burning building for any reason. Belongings can be replaced, lives can't!
About Underwriters Laboratories
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is an independent, not-for-profit product safety certification organization that has been testing products for more than 110 years. UL tests more than 18,850 types of products annually, and more than 19 billion UL Marks appear on products each year. Worldwide, UL's family of companies and its network of service providers include 60 laboratories, and testing and certification facilities.
About the National Fire Protection Association
The National Fire Protection Association has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by developing and advocating scientifically based consensus codes and standards, research, training and education.
Press Contacts:
For additional information on these and other safety tips, or to schedule an interview, please contact one of the following representatives:
Joanne Beardslee, UL/Rhea & Kaiser, +1-630-955-6618, joanne_beardslee@rkconnect.com
Stewart Reeve, UL/Rhea & Kaiser, +1-636-928-0920, stewart_reeve@rkconnect.com
Margie Coloian, NFPA, +1-617-984-7275 or mcoloian@nfpa.org
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