Cooking

• Keep looking when cooking – don’t get distracted
• Take care if you are wearing loose clothing
• Keep tea towels, cloths and other items away from the oven and hob area
• Never leave cooking unattended, if you do need to leave the kitchen whilst cooking, take pans off the heat or turn them down to avoid risk. 
• Don’t cook if you’ve been drinking alcohol or taking medication
• Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob. Keep matches and saucepan handles out of their reach to keep them safe.
• Make sure saucepan handles don’t stick out so they don’t get knocked off the stove.
• Double check the cooker is off when you’ve finished cooking.
• Keep the oven, hob and grill clean and in good working order. A build up of fat and grease can ignite a fire.

Take care with electrics

• Keep electrics (leads and appliances) away from water.
• Check toasters are clean and placed away from curtains and kitchen rolls.
• Deep fat frying
• Take care when cooking with hot oil – it sets alight easily.
• Make sure food is dry before putting it in hot oil so it doesn’t splash.
• If the oil starts to smoke – it’s too hot. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool.
• Use a thermostat-controlled electric deep fat fryer. They can’t overheat. 

What to do if a pan catches fire:

Don’t take any risks, turn off the heat if it is safe to do so, place a fire blanket over the pan and leave the pan to cool down. Never throw water over a pan with oil in it.

If there is any doubt, don’t tackle the fire yourself – Get Out, Stay Out, Call 999.