Thanksgiving Safety
Here at FireAvert, we love this season of gratitude and thanksgiving—remembering all we have to be grateful for and what matters most in life—and we never complain that it all ends around a table filled with delicious food shared with friends and loved ones. And since dinner is the main event on the fourth Thursday of November, you would do well to make sure that your preparation for your dinner is as safe as possible. The National Fire Protection Association reports that Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment, so check out the tips below from the
National Fire Protection Association
before you start thawing that turkey this week so your home doesn’t become part of that statistic!
- Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stove-top so you can keep an eye on the food.
- Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently.
- Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay 3 feet away.
- Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
- Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
- Keep knives out of the reach of children.
- Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
- Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.
- Never leave children alone in a room with a lit candle.
- Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.
- Have activities that keep kids out of the kitchen during this busy time. Games, puzzles or books can keep them busy. Kids can get involved in Thanksgiving preparations with recipes that can be done outside the kitchen.