Lombard Fire Dept. offers safe cooking tips
LOMBARD, Illinois--Many families gather in the kitchen to spend time together, but it can be one of the most hazardous rooms in the house if you don't practice safe cooking behaviors.
Cooking equipment, most often a range or stove top, is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Cooking equipment is also the leading cause of unreported fires and associated injuries.
It's a recipe for serious injury or even death to wear loose clothing, walk away from a cooking pot on the stove or leave flammable materials, such as potholders or paper towels, around the stove. Whatever is being cooked, practicing safe cooking behaviors will help keep you and your family safe.
Choose the Right Equipment, Use It Properly
• Always use cooking equipment tested and approved by a recognized testing facility.
• Follow manufacturers' instructions and code requirements when installing and operating cooking equipment.
• Plug microwave ovens and other cooking appliances directly into an outlet. Never use an extension cord for a cooking appliance, as it can overload the circuit and cause a fire.
Use BBQ Grills Safely
• Position the grill well away from siding, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
• Place the grill a safe distance from lawn games, play areas and foot traffic.
• Keep children and pets away from the grill area by declaring a three-foot “kid-free zone” around the grill.
• Put out several long-handled grilling tools to give the chef plenty of clearance from heat and flames.
• Periodically remove grease or fat build-up in trays below grill so it cannot be ignited by a hot grill.
• Use only outdoors! If used indoors or in any enclosed spaces, such as tents, barbecue grills pose both a fire hazard and the risk of exposing occupants to carbon monoxide.
Charcoal Grills
• Purchase the proper starter fluid and store out of reach of children and away from heat sources.
• Never add charcoal starter fluid when coals or kindling have already been ignited.
Propane Grills
• Check the propane cylinder hose for leaks before using it for the first time each year. A light soap and water solution applied to the hose will reveal escaping propane quickly by releasing bubbles.
• If you determined your grill has a gas leak by smell or the soapy bubble test and there is no flame:
o Turn off the propane tank and grill.
o If the leak stops, get the grill serviced by a professional before using it again.
o If the leak does not stop, dial 9-1-1.
• If you smell gas while cooking, immediately get away from the grill and dial 9-1-1.
• All propane cylinders manufactured after April 2002 must have overfill protection devices (OPD). OPDs shut off the flow of propane before capacity is reached, limiting the potential for release of propane gas if the cylinder heats up. OPDs are easily identified by their triangular-shaped hand wheel.
• Use only equipment bearing the mark of an independent testing laboratory. Follow the manufacturers' instructions on how to set up the grill and maintain it.
• Never store propane cylinders in buildings or garages. If you store a gas grill inside during the winter, disconnect the cylinder and leave it outside.