Accidents happen. It’s a fact!
But it’s as important to know what to do in a difficult situation, as it is to prepare to avoid accidents in the first place.
Fire & Rescue Services provide advice and information on how to stay safe AND what to do if you are unfortunate enough to be involved in a kitchen fire.
Around 60% of fires in the home begin in the kitchen. When deliberate actions and carelessness are removed from the cause of fire statistics, the majority are attributable to pans on hobs
But, even if you're a very careful cook, it's possible that a pan might catch fire. It only takes the phone to ring for you to be distracted; spending a little longer than anticipated on the doorstep, if the doorbell rings; or for something to catch your eye on the TV that has you sit down, and momentarily forget that you have just put a small amount of oil in a pan and placed it on the hob.
Fire authorities advise that these 4 steps should be taken in such an event:
Smoke and fire alarms are essential fitments around the house. In the kitchen a heat detector is more appropriate as it activates when the temperature rises suddenly but won’t sound if you simply create a little smoke by singeing your steak!
A cooker cut-off is a sensible installation in any kitchen, but particularly for those at greater risk, for example those used by people living with dementia, in sheltered or assisted housing or student accommodation.
They are devices that reduce the risk of pans reaching flashpoint and setting off the smoke, heat or fire alarm.
HobSensus, from Prefect Controls, ‘watches’ over the cooking surface. If it ‘sees’ the temperatures reaching dangerous levels, it will cut the power to the hob. Even if dangerous levels aren’t reached, the timer will prevent the hob from being left switched on when the kitchen is unoccupied. Conscientious landlords and carers have peace of mind that their kitchens are safer with HobSensus on the wall.
