By Larry Ventura
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and proper battery replacement are very important for home safety, and the proper installation and use of wood burning units and general home fire safety practices are common fire prevention tips; but did you know there are some very important tips about poison and cooking safety that are a must for good home safety practices?
Your home is filled with liquid and powdered poisons placed in all kinds of storage containers.
They can be the common cleaning materials (polish, stain remover, degreasers, etc.), insect sprays and powders, petrol-based solvents, and fuels such as gasoline and kerosene.
Where do you store these poisons? Under the sink or on a shelf, on the floor of the garage?
Make an immediate plan to take the necessary actions to get these poisons stored out of the reach of inquisitive children.
And when using these materials, monitor their placement.
A secure metal cabinet is a good place to store these poisons and flammables.
Also, read the labels and warnings on these products. Don’t forget to include personal medications in this safe storage guideline.
I can’t make you a good cook, but I can make you a cooking-safely cook. If you have small children, when using the stove top do you usually use the front heating units, especially when boiling water or frying?
Use the back heating units and do not let handles hang over the front end of the stove. Children like to reach up and grab.
And watch where you leave sharp utensils, especially knives.
Don’t leave the kitchen unattended when doing any kind of heating and frying.
Have a couple boxes of baking soda and properly sized pan covers ready for any unexpected small stove top or oven fires.
Applying baking soda or just placing the cover over the pan will smother these small fires, but do so safely and never use water on frying oil fires.
Most importantly, always call your local fire department for any kind of small fire!
Always have a well thought-out fire escape plan…and practice it.
Whenever you need a little time away, take the necessary precious time to instruct your responsible supervising person (babysitter) about safe food and snack preparations, continuous monitoring and supervision (eyes and ears), emergency contact numbers, your location and contact number, and the proper administration of any medications required during your absence.