Safety Tips for a Happy Thanksgiving

November 13, 2018 9:43 AM
by Suzanne Post

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year for friends and family to gather and enjoy delicious food and good company, it is also the leading day for U.S. home cooking fires. In 2015, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,760 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving.  Unattended cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths (National Fire Protection Association).

Here are some easy safety tips to keep in mind to help keep you and your family safe:

✅ Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop, so you can keep an eye on the food.

✅ Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently.

✅ Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot, and kids should stay 3 feet away.

✅ Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.

✅ Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.

✅ Keep knives out of the reach of children.

✅ Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.

✅ Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.

✅ Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle.

✅ Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.

If you plan on frying your turkey please follow the instructions provided by the National Turkey Federation. You can also find some great recipes on their website.

Watch the video below from the National Fire Protection Association and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, demonstrating the fire dangers of turkey fryers in this live burn. NFPA strongly discourages the use of turkey fryers.

 

Authored By

Suzanne Post
Fire Safety Coordinator