One thing that we often forget about as home cooks is kitchen safety. We tend to focus on making our food quickly, making it taste good, and improving our cooking skills. But if we’re not following basic kitchen safety procedures, we might be really putting ourselves in danger just by trying to feed ourselves or have fun in the kitchen. So to be safer than sorry, here are some basic kitchen safety rules that are important to follow.
Crash Course
- Check that your oven and appliances are off when you leave the kitchen
- Keep kids and pets out of the way
- Keep a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher handy
- Make sure you have a working fire alarm
- Make sure to always wear clothes and closed-toed shoes
- Clean up spills as soon as they happen, especially on the floor
- Use oven mitts
- Watch out for steam; it can be just as dangerous as fire
- Take your time in the kitchen. Rushing can lead to accidents
- Never try to catch a falling knife
Ultimately, as long as you’re careful, reasonable, don’t try to take shortcuts, follow common sense, and you should be okay. Just take kitchen safety seriously! After all, the kitchen is the most dangerous room in the house.
