Thanksgiving Day is the perfect time to gather with friends and family, enjoy a wonderful meal together and reflect on what you’re thankful for. However, this holiday has more than double the number of home cooking fires than an average day, according to the American Red Cross. In fact, more than 4,000 fires occur on Thanksgiving Day each year, so it’s especially important to keep safety in mind in the kitchen on this holiday. Use the following 10 Thanksgiving safety tips we’ve compiled to help you ensure that your Turkey Day remains fire free.
Before you begin cooking, be sure to test your smoke alarms to ensure that they are functioning properly.- Remain in the kitchen when cooking on your stove so you can stir and check on your food regularly.
- Wear tight-fitted clothing with shorter sleeves and tie back long hair when cooking.
- Keep potholders, food wrappers, and any other items that could catch fire away from heat sources while cooking.
- Your turkey may take quite some time to cook, but it’s important to stay home while it’s in the oven so you can check on it frequently. It’s a good idea to set timers to help you keep track of cooking times, not only for your turkey, but also for other dishes that may require extended cooking time.
- Make sure kids and curious pets remain supervised at all times. They should stay at least three feet away from the stove, as it will be extremely hot and any steam or splashes from vegetables, gravy or other food cooking on the stove could cause severe burns.
- While cooking, keep your pots and pans’ handles turned inward to help avoid accidents like spilling hot liquid.
- Keep knives and other sharp objects out of the reach of children, and be sure there aren’t any cords dangling off the counter, such as those from a coffee maker, electric mixer, plate warmer or electric knife.
- When you’ve finished cooking, double check to make sure that your stove, burners and all other appliances have been turned off.
- If you’ve decorated your home with candles, be sure to walk through your home after guests leave to make sure that all flames have been extinguished.
For many, Thanksgiving is a highly anticipated day that provides fun for the whole family and kicks off the holiday season. Keeping our Thanksgiving safety tips in mind will help you ensure that you and your loved ones have a fun, memorable, accident-free holiday. At Knapton, Reade & Woods, your safety is important to us. For additional safety tips and useful resources, please read our blog, or visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.
