How to Safely Use the Stove Top and Oven

It’s a well-known fact that most home fires are related to cooking. Kitchen fires can start in different ways, such as leaving a frying pan unattended or due to grease build-up on the stove top. The good news is that cooking fires can be easily prevented by exercising caution and by following a number of simple rules. Here are several safety tips for preventing fire hazards in the kitchen:

• Individuals should make sure that their newly purchased stoves or ovens have the label of an independent testing laboratory.
• Ovens should be registered online to allow the manufacturer to contact the owner about potential dangers that come up with the purchased model.
• A professional should be hired to install gas or electrical ovens to ensure that the oven and hood are connected safely.
• If there are children living in a home, property owners should consider installing safety devices such as stove locking straps, stove safety guards and stove knob stops.
• Using the stove or oven when consuming alcohol is a bad idea and must be avoided.
• Stove tops and ovens should be kept clean. Grease and food particles can start a fire that spreads quickly.
• The stove should always be supervised when boiling, frying, grilling or broiling food.
• Those who are cooking must make sure to roll up their sleeves, tie back long hair and wear non-slip footwear.
• Before an oven is used, it should be checked for gas leaks. If it smells of gas when opening the oven door, the owner should open a window immediately and call an oven repair contractor.
• The oven is not a storage area and should not be used as such. Moreover, items stored in the oven, such as pots or pans, should be removed before using the oven.
• When using the stove top, it’s a good idea to use the burners on the back, but the pot should not be too small or big for the burner.
• A fire extinguisher or baking soda must be kept in the kitchen to stop accidental fires quickly. Pots that caught fire should be covered with metal lids as fast as possible.
• WARNING: water should never be poured over a grease fire. This makes flaming oil spread rapidly. Fire extinguishers, baking soda and even salt or wet rags should be used to stop kitchen fires.

More general kitchen fire safety tips can be found in this article. Although the kitchen is where most home fires start, the wiring and appliances in a home can also cause a fire. Common causes of electrical fires with tips on how to prevent them are available here. PuroClean team stands ready to provide professional restoration services to any property affected by fire, water or mould damage.

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