Special to The Post-Searchlight

Did you know that making a few changes in your cooking habits can help keep you and your family safer from burns? Bainbridge Public Safety wants you to know some of the things you can do to be safer when cooking.

Here are some easy things to do starting with tonight’s dinner:

• Keep a three-foot (one-meter) “kid-free” zone around the cooking area. It’s best to keep children out of the kitchen while hot food is being prepared.

• Turn pot handles away from the stove’s edge.

• Use the stove’s back burners to ensure hot pots and pans are out of reach for young children.

• When cooking, wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves. In the event your clothes do catch fire, stop, drop, and roll. When the fire is out, cool the burn right away.

• Never leave cooking food unattended. Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling. If you have to leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove.

• If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.

• You have to be alert when cooking. You won’t be alert if you are sleepy, have taken medicine or drugs, or consumer alcohol that makes you drowsy.

• If you have a cooking fire and are in doubt, just get out and call the fire department.

• Always keep an oven mitt and pan lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan to smother the flame. Turn off the burner, and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool.

• Use dry oven mitts or potholders when removing hot food from ovens, microwaves, or stovetops. Replace old or worn oven mitts frequently to prevent burns.

 

If you are burned:

Burns require immediate attention. First, put the affected area in cool water for three to five minutes. Then, cover with a clean, dry cloth. If the burn is bigger than your fist, or if you have questions about caring for the injury, seek medical attention right away.