1. Smart Parents, Safe Kids Cooking Safety
Say: Welcome to Smart Parents, Safe Kids - Cooking Safety.
The goal of this presentation is to help you understand how to prevent fires while cooking and how to prevent burns and scalds to yourself, the cook, and to your children or the children you care for. Welcome to Smart Parents, Safe Kids - Cooking Safety.

2. Why Cooking Safety?
The kitchen can be a very dangerous place for young children:
Burns
Scalds
Fire
Cuts
Choking Hazards
Tripping
Poison Prevention
Say:
Why is cooking safety so important? Cooking is the #1 cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the U. S. 40 percent of all home fires start in the kitchen.
There are so many ways children can be injured in the kitchen that some experts recommend keeping young children out of the most active room of the house - the kitchen - but for most parents that would be difficult to enforce and would exclude young children from positive family time and wonderful learning opportunities. The kitchen still is the heart of many family homes, and a great gathering spot for family and friends. A better alternative than keeping children out of the kitchen is to take precautions that will eliminate the most serious dangers.
(Read the slide.)

3. Cooking Safety is Fire Safety
Each year, 1 out of every 8 homes has a cooking fire. Cooking fires are the #1 cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the U.S.
Say: According to the National Fire Protection Agency, every year 1 out of every 8 homes has a cooking fire.
Each year, cooking fires cause approximately 500 fire deaths and 4,660 fire injuries.
Cooking fires cause more than $750 million in property damage.
More than half of cooking fire injuries occur when people try to fight the fire themselves.
What do you think is the peak day for cooking fires? …Yes, Thanksgiving.
Discuss: reasons that cooking fires are highest on that day…
There is a lot going on in the kitchen with multiple things cooking at any one time.
We’ve got electrical items plugged in, the oven is turned on and things are cooking on the stove top.
We’re chopping, mixing and talking to friends to make for plenty of distractions and a last minute flurry of activity when our attention is divied.

4. Cooking Safety
Top reasons for cooking fires: 1. Not watching food when cooking 2. Something close to an appliance catches fire 3. An appliance was turned on or left on by mistake 4. Starting grill with gasoline
Say: What are the top reasons for cooking fires?
Say: Inside the house the #1 cause of cooking fires is leaving a stove or oven unattended, when the cook leaves the kitchen or turns his/her back on something frying or cooking.
Outside, the grill can be a dangerous place – especially if you’re not supervising. Incredibly enough, many fires start with a huge whoosh when people use gasoline to start a grill.
(Explain the word “appliance” if people don’t know.)
(Ask your audience for other reasons. Have they experienced small kitchen fires?)

5. Cooking Safety Keep an eye on what you fry! Stand by your pan! Say:
These are a couple of key messages for avoiding cooking fires. They’re clever, fun and easy to remember. And if you follow this advice, you must likely will never have to experience a kitchen fire caused because you have left the room or turned your back on whatever is cooking.

6. Cooking Safety: Burns and Scalds
Definitions
Burn: Damage to the skin or other body parts caused by extreme heat, flame, contact with hot objects, or chemicals.
Scald: A burn from hot liquid or steam.
Say: Do you know the difference between a burn and a scald? (Audience share.)
(Read the slide.)
Say: Avoiding burns and scalds is an important part of kitchen safety. The advice in this presentation will help you keep yourself and your family free from burns and scalds.
Burns and scalds are a high injury risk for children. Parents should treat all hot things as if they are as dangerous as fire. Children don’t know that hot water and hot drinks can cause burns. A child’s sensitive skin burns far more easily than adult skin. And burns and scalds are a major cause of serious injury in children from newborn to 14 years old. Children under 4 years, and especially those between one and two years are most at risk due to their increased mobility and natural curiosity.

7. FIRE/BURN SAFETY IN THE KITCHEN
When you are cooking:
Keep anything that can catch on fire away from the stove.
Keep the stovetop, burners, and oven clean.
FIRE/BURN SAFETY IN THE KITCHEN
(Read the slide.)
Say: it’s also important to clean grease from the stovetop, toaster oven or inside the oven. Grease can be a fire hazard. We also know that kitchen towels and hot pads can be hazards if they are too close to burners.

8. Fire/Burn Safety in the Kitchen
When you are cooking:
Wear short or rolled up sleeves. Avoid scarves or flowing clothing.
Use long oven mitts or have them nearby.
Don’t take hot things out of the oven with a towel.
Read the slide and discuss why each point is important.
Say: If your oven mitts are old or worn out, get new ones. NEVER use wet oven mitts or potholders which can cause scald burns.
We advise people to use hot pads rather than towels to grab hot items. Towels can be dragged over burners and catch fire easily. They also don’t provide enough insulation from heat, which means it is more likely a hot pan will be dropped.

9. Fire/Burn Safety in the Kitchen
When you are cooking:
Stay nearby when frying, grilling or broiling.
Stay nearby when using hotplates, toasters, toaster ovens or grilling machines.
Keep an eye on what you fry!
Stand by your pan!
(Read the slide)
Cooking fires are totally preventable – or at least easily controlled – if you remain in the kitchen, ESPECIALLY when you are frying. Walking away from frying, whether it’s to load the laundry or answer the phone, can be disastrous. If you MUST leave the kitchen when doing any of the following, turn the appliance off:
Frying or broiling food with butter or grease – frying is the cooking method with the highest risk for burns.
Using a hot plate, toaster, grilling machine or any other hot cooking appliance. Stay in the kitchen and watch it until your food is cooked and you turn the appliance off.

10. Fire/Burn Safety in the Kitchen
When you are cooking:
Check on food often when baking or simmering.
Use a timer to remind you when food is done.
If cooking for a long duration, take portable timer with you or set your smart phone alarm.
(Read the slide.)
Say: Timing is critical in the kitchen, not only to prevent your food from burning, but also to prevent fires from pans and contents burning onto the stove. When cooking something for a long period of time such as baking cookies or cakes or simmering soup at a low temperature, check on it often and stay nearby while food is cooking. It is so easy to get distracted by something else if you walk away from food cooking in a pan. STAND BY YOUR PAN!

11. Fire/Burn Safety in the Kitchen
Microwave Cooking
Open containers slowly away from the face.
Stir and test food before eating.
Never heat baby food or bottles in the microwave.
Do not allow young children to remove food from the microwave.
Keep metals, foil and gold
rimmed objects out of microwave.
(Read the slide.)
Say: Hot steam from a container can cause scalds.
Heat food only in dishes or containers that are labeled as microwave safe. Never use aluminum foil or metal objects in a microwave as they can cause fires.
It is safest to place your microwave oven in a place lower than your face because it will prevent hot food or liquid from spilling onto your face as you remove the container from the microwave.
Because of the uneven heating of liquids in the microwave, never heat baby food or bottles in the microwave. Pockets of hot liquid can scald your baby’s mouth and overheated bottles have been known to explode when they were removed from the microwave.
Children, of course, can easily tip a microwave container with a hot liquid or steam. Burns can be severe – especially for young children with thin skin, so never allow them to remove or open microwave containers.

12. Install smoke alarms away from the kitchen.
Use smoke alarms that have a hush button.
SMOKE ALARMS
It is important to have smoke alarms that work in your home although if a smoke alarm is in the kitchen, it can sometimes go off during regular cooking. If this happens a lot, move the alarm to a room near the kitchen but not in it.
Some smoke alarms come with a hush button which allows you to silence the alarm temporarily without taking the battery out. You can keep this type of alarm in the kitchen.
NEVER remove batteries from smoke alarms unless you are going to immediately replace them with new batteries.
And remember that smoke alarms have a life. Once your current alarm reaches the end of its lifespan – about 10 years – you will only be able to purchase new 10-year tamper-proof smoke alarms in California stores.

13. Smoke Alarms
If the alarm sounds during normal cooking and there is no fire:
Press the hush button.
Open a door or window.
Fan the area with a towel.
Consider relocating your smoke alarm further from the kitchen.
Install a 10 year worry-free, tamper resistant smoke alarm when time to replace batteries.
Never take down a smoke alarm or remove the battery.
(Read the slide.)
Say:
There are so many fires that could have been prevented with a working smoke alarm.
Every time the smoke alarm goes off, treat it as a possible fire. Practice what you would do to make sure everyone reacts to the alarm and gets outside quickly and safely.
DO: use a smoke alarm to show how the hush button works and how to fan it with a dish towel.

14. KEEPING KIDS SAFE IN THE KITCHEN
Make a 3 foot area around the stove a kid-free zone.
KEEPING KIDS SAFE IN THE KITCHEN
Say: Young children are at high risk of being burned by hot food and liquids in the kitchen. Create a 3 foot “kid-free zone” around the stove. You can do this by taping off an area on the floor or just teaching your children how close they can come to the stove. It is very important that you know where your child is while you are cooking so that you do not trip over him.

15. Keeping Kids Safe in the Kitchen
Cook on back burners.
Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove.
Say: To prevent small children from reaching and pulling down a hot pan, cook with pots and pans on back burners and have the handles facing backwards.
This makes perfect sense because we know that young children will grab whatever they can reach. And as the cook if you’re in a hurry, it is also possible to knock against a handle that is turned out.

16. Keeping Kids Safe in the Kitchen
Keep appliance cords coiled and away from counter edges.
Hot food and drinks should be away from the edge of counters and tables.
Say:
Keep all small appliances and their cords away from the counter’s edge so children cannot pull them down.
Plug all appliances directly into the outlet; do not use extension cords or multiple outlet extenders.
Keep hot food, pans and drinks away from the edge of counters and tables, out of reach of children.

17. Keeping Kids Safe in the Kitchen
Never hold a child while cooking.
Use travel mugs with tight lids for hot drinks.
Do not use tablecloths or placemats.
Never hold a child with a hot drink in your hand
Read the slide.
However steady you think you are, or good at multi-tasking, a child in your arms changes everything.
Tablecloths or placemats are dangerous for young children who can pull on the tablecloth and cause hot liquid and food to fall off and burn them.

18. Keeping Kids Safe in the Kitchen
Baby bottles
Heat baby bottles in warm water, not in a microwave.
Test milk/formula before feeding.
Because mircrowaves heat liquids unevenly, milk heated in a microwave can scald the baby’s mouth. Don’t do it. Just heat the bottle in warm water. Test for proper temperature no matter how you heat food or milk for your baby. Always stir to make sure heat is evenly distributed.

19. Kitchen Safety Review Stay alert when you are cooking!
Keep knives, forks, scissors and other sharp instruments in a drawer with a safety latch, separate from “safe” kitchen utensils
Store sharp cutting appliances out of reach in a locked cabinet
Unplug appliances when not in use so child cannot turn on
Don’t let electrical cords dangle within a child’s reach
ALWAYS turn pot handles toward the back of the stove and cook on back burners when you can.
Always know where your child is so you don’t trip over him
(Read the slide.)
Say: Children are curious and want to touch everything, especially tools they see you using in the kitchen. If they can see it, they will reach for it and put it in their mouths or try to do whatever they see you doing. So make sure all your tools are put away in locked cabinets or drawers. Young children will enjoy playing with kitchen items such as measuring spoons or plastic storage containers, but make sure they are at least 3 feet from the stove or oven and out of your cooking path.

20. Kitchen Safety Review
Choose a well insulated oven to protect your child from the heat if he touches the oven door
Never leave the oven door open
If you have a gas stove, turn dials firmly to the off position so your child cannot easily turn the burners on
Keep matches out of reach and out of sight
Keep a fire extinguisher nearby and know how to use it.
No refrigerator magnets on your refrigerator
Keep strong cleansers and other dangerous products high and out of reach or locked in a lower cabinet use one that refastens automatically every time you close the door.
Keep all cleaning products and alcohol in their original containers so they are not confused with beverages
Turn handles away from the edge of the stove
Say: Here are some more tips that will keep you and your family safe in the kitchen.
Read the slide.

21. Grilling COOKING OUTSIDE Always and only use the grill outside.
Grill at least 15 feet from any house or building.
Never leave a hot grill unattended.
Teach children to stay away from grills.
COOKING OUTSIDE
Say:
When you are cooking outside, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure the grill is working properly and is properly assembled.
Never use a grill indoors or in a garage
Clean your grill thoroughly after each use.
Keep lighted cigarettes, matches, open flames, or lighter fluid away from the grill
Notice the area marked around the grill in blue. That is the grilling area and kids should not be allowed within three feet all the way around the grill.

22. Cooking Outside Gas grills Make sure the grill is clean and working
If using propane, check connections before use.
Replace any parts that are worn-out or could leak gas.
Read the slide.
Also be sure to replace any parts or tubes that are worn or could potentially leak gas.
If you think you have a gas leak, immediately turn off the gas. Don’t attempt to light the grill until the leak is fixed.
Don’t forget to turn off the grill and close the valve to the propane tank as soon as your are finished cooking.

23. Cooking Outside Charcoal grills Only use charcoal outside.
Keep the grill outside of the house or garage until the coals are cool.
Never place coals in a bag or plastic garbage container unless they have been soaked in water.
Read the slide.
Say:
Also, be sure to pour water on the embers before you throw them away.
Hot charcoal can cause a fire and also gives off CO (carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas) until it is completely cool.

24. Cooking Outside Turkey fryers
Stay near the fryer when it is on or hot.
Raise and lower food slowly to avoid hot oil burns.
Cover bare skin when using the fryer.
NEVER place a frozen turkey in hot oil.
Read the slide.
Say:
The fryer should be in an open area away from all walls, fences, or any structure that can catch fire.
Keep children and pets at least three feet from the fryer.
If oil begins to smoke, immediately turn gas supply off.
Do NOT try to extinguish a fire with water. Call 9-1-1/

25. IF A FIRE OR BURN HAPPENS
Fire: When in doubt, get out.
Close the door behind you
Call after you are out
IF A FIRE OR BURN HAPPENS
Say: Remember that most injuries from fires occur when people stay inside to fight the fire. If you are in doubt, get out!
And be sure to call AFTER you are out of the house, not while you are still inside the home.

26. In Case of Fire Fighting Cooking Fires
Be sure everyone is out of the home and you have a clear path to the exit.
If you do not reduce the fire on your first try, leave, do not keep fighting it.
Say: Only if you know what you are doing you may choose to fight the fire yourself, BUT
If the fire is bigger than a basketball and/or spreading, get out.
If you have a fire extinguisher, know how to use it. Get training from your local fire department or workplace that will let you practice putting out a fire.
ALWAYS FOLLOW MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS. If used incorrectly a fire extinguisher can actually cause a fire to spread.

27. Fighting Kitchen Fires
For a Small Grease Fire
NEVER throw water on hot grease
Turn the stove or oven OFF.
Smother flames with lid or cookie sheet
Do not move the pan
Leave lid on until pan is cool
Use a fire extinguisher if the fire is the size of a small office trash container. Know how to use your fire extinguisher.
If you can’t suffocate a fire on the first try
Get everyone out of the home
Call 9-1-1
Say: If you do have a small kitchen flare-up caused by grease, here are the important things to remember:
Never throw water on hot grease because water can actually make the fire spread
For a small fire in a cooking pan, while wearing an oven mitt, smother the flames by carefully sliding a pan lid or cookie sheet over the pan. A pan lid or cookie sheet can cover the fire in one motion and can be sued to shield your hand and arm while smothering the fire.
Do not use a fire extinguisher on a pan fire when standing close. The powder comes out fast and with such force it can tip the pan and spread the fire. Make sure you are 6-8 feet away when using a fire extinguisher.
Note: If participants ask about baking soda explain that it can be a dangerous choice. They may not have enough baking soda to put out the fire, they may not be able to get to the baking soda in time, or it may force them to put their hand dangerously close to the flame.
Remember that fire needs oxygen to burn, so the quickest way to put out a grease fire is by smothering it with a lid. Do NOT try to pick up the pan to take it off the stove. It will be extremely hot and the hot grease could be easily spilled.
Your natural tendency might be to throw water on the fire. But water and grease don’t go together and water in a grease pan will simply pop and burn. Again, smothering the fire is the key. But if there is any doubt at all, get everyone out of the home and call

28. Click on the picture for a brief video demonstrating how to put out a grease fire.
It is important to remember to turn off the burner or the oven, or unplug an appliance that has ignited. Sometimes in a panic it’s easy to forget to do the most obvious things.

29. In Case of Fire Oven fire Turn off the oven.
Keep the door closed until cool.
If necessary, call
Say:
If something in the oven catches fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed. Fire needs air to grow. If you open the door, the air will make the fire bigger.
Wait until the oven has completely cooled before opening the door again.
Call to report the fire. Firefighters will check to make sure that the fire has not spread behind the walls.

30. In Case of Fire Microwave fire Turn off and unplug the microwave.
Keep the door closed until cool.
Say: If you have a fire in your microwave, turn it off immediately and keep the door closed.
Never open the door until the fire is completely out.
Call to report the fire.
After a fire, ovens and microwaves should be checked or serviced before being used again.

31. In Case of Fire Fire Extinguisher
Only use a fire extinguisher if you have been trained how to use it correctly.
DO: If you can get someone from the fire department to demonstrate how to use an extinguisher, invite him/her to your workshop to teach parents/caregivers how to use it correctly. An incorrectly used fire extinguisher can actually spread a fire further.

32. If a Fire or Burn Occurs If your clothes catch fire STOP right away.
DROP to the ground, cover your face with your hands.
ROLL over & over or back & forth to put out the fire.
Read the slide.

33. If a Fire or Burn Occurs If you burn your skin
Treat a burn by running cool water over it for 3-5 minutes right away.
If the burn is large or if you are not sure how to treat it, call a doctor.
Say:
If you do get a burn, treat it immediately by putting it in cool water. Cool the burn for 3 to 5 minutes.
Do NOT put lotion, cream, butter or anything else on a burn. Burns need to breathe so they can cool down.
Call a doctor if you have questions about how to treat it. Seek medical attention right away.

34. QUESTIONS?
All Smart Parents Safe Kids resources, including recorded webinars, power points and supplemental materials are available for download on the Safe Kids California website, Scroll down to find the recorded cooking presentation webinar, then scroll down further for additional resources in English and Spanish, including supplemental materials. We encourage you to use these resources to conduct in-person workshops with your families.

35. Katie Smith ksmith@thecapcenter.org 916-244-1964
Thank you
Katie Smith