Kitchen is the central point of a house, but it is also one of the places that is prone to many mishaps and accidents. The risks are little bit higher if there are kids in the house. But it doesn’t mean that the kitchen has to be a no-entry zone for your kids. But yes, it definitely requires some safety measures to be kept in place. The most important thing is to identify the risky areas in the kitchen and then childproof them. With some simple kitchen safety measures, you can do away with accidents that can occur on any given day. Check out these safety rules that need to be followed in kitchen at all times.
1. Use outlet plugs
Using outlet plugs is an absolute necessity. These are small plastic covers that fit right into the wall sockets, giving your plugs a secure cover. But while you go about purchasing these plug outlets, get the best quality as the cheap ones come off very easily.
2. Lock cabinet doors
Kitchen is sure to have cabinets. Keeping them locked at all times helps to reduce accidents. Put strong latches and keep your drawers and cupboards closed. Your little one will never be able to open the lock, no matter how much they try.
3. Keep cleaning supplies away
Imagine your little one fiddling with your cleaning stuff. It can easily lead to an upset tummy to something more serious. To avoid such incidents, always keep your cleaning supplies out of reach of children. You can store them in a cupboard above the sink that will comfortably be in your reach but away from the naughty hands.
4. Use oven and fridge latches
Fridge and ovens always seem to fantasize kids for some strange reason. You will be amazed to see how smartly they can open the fridge and oven doors. Other than the mess the kids can cause while pulling out stuff from the fridge, it can also be very dangerous. It can get worse trying to get things out of a hot oven. So, as a safety measure put latches on these electrical appliances.
5. Hygiene
Keeping kitchen hygienic is very important for the health of the entire family. So, regularly mop and clean your kitchen floors and keep the counters clean. It is also important to keep all sharp things like knives, cutters and heavy appliance away from the reach of children.
6. Temperature control for food
Kitchen is sure to have food, but keeping them in the right temperature is extremely important. If you want to store food, then keep them in the right temperature. The bacteria causing ingredients in the food grow best when the food is warm. Also you needs to be extra cautious when handling food items like raw poultry, seafood and other food items with an egg base like mayonnaise, etc., keep the fridge temperature set at 5ºC degrees or below. If you want to refrigerate a hot dish, then first cool it in a blast chiller or put the container in cold water in sink so that it cools down easily. If you put a hot dish in the fridge then it will warm the refrigerator and affect the other food items in the fridge as well.
7. Deep fat fryers
One very important aspect for cooking in the kitchen is to never put water or any other liquid into hot cooking oil. The water quickly turns into steam and can dangerously explode hot oil in all directions. Even when you are adding food to the hot oil, do it at low flame and from a distance. It is a possibility that the hot oil will spray up. Keep children away from the kitchen when doing this. If you want to give some kind of an indication whether a utensil is hot or cold then add some dusting flour to it. The utensils with flour will hint that it is still hot and shouldn’t be touched.
8. Cuts and burns
Working in the kitchen automatically leads to some cuts and burns. If treated at the right time, it can be handled. Therefore, having the right first aid is extremely important. If you cut yourself in the kitchen, wash the area immediately with some antiseptic and then apply pressure on the area with a clean towel. Once the bleeding stops then apply an antiseptic cream. In the case of a burn by touching something hot, then immediately apply ice pack or put your hand under cold running water. Apply a burn cream after a while. If it still doesn’t improve, go to a doctor.
