Safety in the kitchen

Some of the most common accidents people experience in the kitchen include: 

• Fires starting during cooking or from faulty appliances.
• Slipping on wet floors. or tripping over objects
• Burns from cooking.
• Injuries with knives or sharp objects.

To avoid accidents and injuries, however by following some simple safety measures you can reduce the risk of these happening. 
Some actions you can take include: 

• Ensuring objects you regularly use are easy to access to avoid having to reach more than you need to, particularly if items are stored up high. Additionally, you should also try and use a step ladder or stool rather than a chair or climbing on your kitchen counters. 
• Making sure that there is space on your kitchen counters to put objects down quickly if needed in case of emergency. 
• Using the back rings of your hob. 
• Pointing the handles of pans so they are not sticking out, as these can catch on clothing or easily be knocked. 
• Not carrying hot pans, liquids or other materials for longer than is essential. 
   

There are a range of potential sources of fire in your kitchen, including appliances and from accidents during cooking, particularly through methods such as deep fat frying. 

Check out some of our top tips below for preventing fires whilst cooking or visit our dedicated webpage for more information. 

• Never leave cooking food unattended.
• Be careful of fabrics or loose clothing. 
• Double check cookers or appliances are turned off when cooking has finished. 
• Ensure children are supervised. 
• Regularly check that smoke alarms are working. 

It’s important to practice good food hygiene to avoid food poisoning, which can potentially be very dangerous and lead to serious illness in some cases. 
To avoid food poisoning, you should: 

• Wash your hands when cooking, especially when handling raw meat. 
• Ensure food is stored in a fridge which is below 5°C. 
• Take note of use before labels and avoid using food which has gone beyond this date. Some foods will also have a best before date, which is different to use by. 
• Ensure surfaces are kept clean before and after you’ve prepared food. 

If you suffer from a disability or long-term health issue, you may benefit from help from our Aids and Adaptations team, who support customers to live independently. These could include things like lever taps or handrails, which could make life easier for you in the kitchen. Get in touch with us to find out more if you think you would benefit from adaptations to your home. 

Damage to your kitchen could lead to accidents, so it’s important these are repaired, whether we are responsible for fixing it or you are. 
If you need to report a repair in your kitchen, you can contact us by: 

• Using our webform 
• Messaging on social media 
• Calling us