Kitchen Safety

More fires start in the kitchen than in any other room but minimising the risks is easy.

Chip Fat Pans
Electric Deep Fat Fryers
Cookers
Other Kitchen Appliances
Further Information

Chip Fat Pans

In Scotland in 2005 there were 854 house fires caused by chip or fat pans!

never leave a chip or fat pan unattended while on the heat - not even for a second
only ever fill one third full
turn the handle away from the cooker's edge but make sure the it doesn't heat up over other rings in use
make sure what goes in isn't dripping wet or caked in ice
fry in small batches - too much could cause the pan to overflow
never deep fry if you've been drinking alcohol

Read what to do if you have a chip or fat pan fire

Electric Deep Fat Fryers

These are much, much safer than chip or fat pans. Modern ones have safety cut-outs that stop them overheating and catching fire. Crucially, the heating element is protected so that the oil can't touch it directly and burst into flames.

They're not that expensive (from around '30) and they're smaller than you think.

Cookers, Ovens and Microwaves

Cookers get hot!

It's hardly headline news but, even so, many fires are started by cookers:

cookers must be wired into a special type of fused switch - get yours installed by a qualified electrician
never leave a switched-on grill unattended
keep your grill pan clean of fat
turn pan handles to the side to avoid accidental spillages
never dry tea towels - or anything else - over your cooker or in the oven
don't keep tea towels, oven gloves or any other fabric items in the handle to the oven or grill
don't keep fabric items on hooks above a cooker or anywhere they could fall onto the heat
keep papers, fats, oils and other flammable items well away from cookers, ovens and microwaves
if you have an eye-level grill, don't keep anything on top of it
make sure any vents in ovens or microwaves are kept clear
never put metal objects in a microwave
don't trail electrical flexes near cookers
don't leave the house if the oven's on - not even using a timer
use a flameless 'spark' lighter to light gas cookers rather than matches or a lighter

Other Kitchen Appliances

Dishwashers, washing machines and tumble dryers all have powerful heating elements inside.

If something goes wrong, they could start a fire:

don't go out or go to bed while they're still working
always switch them off at the mains before going to bed or going out
they all need lots of power so make sure they don't cause an overload - plug them straight into a wall socket

Further Information

For further information and advice on home fire safety, contact your local community fire and rescue service.

You can also download the following information leaflets: