Kitchen Safety and Common Sense

No lie, kitchens can be dangerous places. Glass, cast iron, knives, water, electricity, hot pans – all of these things can be hazardous, if you aren’t careful and aware. But, if you respect your tools and are aware of what’s happening around you, most likely you’ll be fine.

Which is not to say that accidents won’t happen. The photo to the left is my hand, after the handle of a brand new coffee mug snapped while I was washing it. This happened a few years ago, but you can bet I’m a little more careful now.

All of that being said, here are a few things to be mindful of when you’re working in the kitchen.

• Always make sure that pan handles are turned in, not sticking out. Catching a pan handle as you walk by, or reach for something, is a sure way to ruin dinner, or yourself.
• Always lay knives flat on their side on the counter, and never put them in a dish pan where they can’t be seen. Knives are meant to be seen, not felt.
• Always assume a burner is hot. I left a burner on our gas stove turned on last week. It was set to low, and I got distracted, and I didn’t turn it off. Luckily I noticed, 2 hours later, and shut it off. But if I’d assumed it was cold and put my hand on it, I’d have had a nasty burn.
• Always wear footwear that can be taken off quickly. Shoes can protect your feet from burns if something hot spills.
• Always use sharp knives. I wrote about this here.
• Never place small appliances near the edge of your countertop. A crock pot will break your foot.
• Never mix water and hot oil. It will explode and go everywhere.
• Always have a fire extinguisher handy!

I’m sure there are more, but these are the things that come readily to my mind. Have you had a kitchen mishap? If you have, please leave a comment below. We can all learn from each other!

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