1. FIRE SAFETY IN THE KITCHEN AND HOME North Tyneside Prevention and Education Department

2. KITCHEN FIRE FACTS The kitchen is the most hazardous room in the house. Over 50% of fires start in the kitchen. Over 70 people will die. 5000 people will be injured. This means that 17 people a day will be killed or injured in kitchen fires.

3. KITCHEN FIRE SAFETY THE BASICS Keep electrical leads, tea towels and cloths away from the cooker. Keep the oven, hob and grill clean. A build up of fat and grease can easily catch fire. Do not put anything metallic inside the microwave. Take care if you are wearing loose clothing, it can easily catch fire.

4. COOKING SAFELY Do not leave pans unattended. Take them off the heat if you have to leave the room. Fire starts when your attention stops. Do not use matches or lighters to light gas cookers. Spark gas igniters are safer. Turn pan handles so they do not stick out from the hob.

5. COOKING SAFELY Keep the oven door shut. Do not hang tea towels on the oven handle. When you have finished cooking, make sure the cooker/hob is turned OFF.

7. DEEP FRYING Dry food before you put it in hot oil. Never fill the pan more than one-third full of oil. If the oil starts to smoke, it is too hot. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool. Use a thermostatically controlled electric deep- fat fryer. They can not overheat.

9. ELECTRICS Do not overload sockets Use bank adaptors with fuses Do not put cables under carpets

10. ELECTRICS Check for loose wiring, faulty plugs and sockets Replace any worn cables Unplug electric items if you are not using them

11. CANDLES Keep candles away from curtains or any furniture Put candles in proper holders that will not fall over Do not put tea lights/candles on baths and tv’s Do not lean across them – you could set fire to your clothes or hair

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13. ‘T’ light candles without correct holders caused this

14. CANDLES Always leave at least 10 cm between two burning candles Do not put candles under shelves or other surfaces Do not move candles when they are burning Do not leave the room when candles are burning – put them out Keep candles out of the reach of your children and pets

15. SMOKE ALARMS Smoke alarms are cheap, easy to get hold of and, used properly, they are lifesavers. A smoke alarm is a warning device that detects smoke at the earliest stages of fire. A smoke alarm will wake you up and give you vital extra time to escape You are twice as likely to die in a fire at home if you do not have a working smoke alarm

17. ESCAPE PLAN Make a ‘fire action plan’ with everyone in your home, especially children, the elderly and disabled. The best escape route is the normal way in and out of your home. - Keep it clear! Have a second escape route if the first one is blocked. GET OUT, GET THE FIRE SERVICE OUT AND STAY OUT

18. Any Questions?