• General Safety

  How dangerous is a bit of fun in the kitchen

  Posted by Tia on 27 August 2020 at 11:00 am

  We all love the idea of cooking with our children in the kitchen, be it with mum or dad, even playing around during the preparation of the food and sometimes whilst over or close to the hot oven and hot plate.

  Since young children are still growing, they have thinner skin than us adults, which can result in more serious injuries from a burn or scald. One of the ways our young children learn about their surroundings is through their sense of touch. Sometimes their explorations can lead them to reach out and touch hot objects, resulting in an injury!

  Some Hard Facts About Burns and Scalds

  Fire/burn related injuries are among the leading ten causes of unintentional injury in children ages 0 to 5, with children 2 and younger at greatest risk.
  

  Every day, 300 children and young adults aged 0 to 19 are treated in emergency medical departments for burn-related injuries.

  So how can we still have fun but protect younger children from potential harm?

  <strong style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Create a kid-free zone. Teach younger children to stay at least 3 feet away from your hot cooking spaces. If you need to watch babies while cooking, place them in highchair outside of the kid-free zone where you can see them.

  <strong style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Keep hot objects out of children’s reach. Cook on the back burners of the stove and turn pot handles away from the edge. Keep hot foods and drinks away from the edge of your counters and tables.

  <strong style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Teach older children how to cook safely. Make sure they don’t leave the kitchen while cooking and use oven mitts or potholders to carry hot pots and pans.

  <strong style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Check bathwater temperature. Before placing your child in the bath, check the water temperature with on the inside of your wrist. The water should feel warm to the touch, not hot.

  <strong style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Watch children around fireplaces. When a gas fireplace is turned on, the glass is extremely hot and can take more than an hour to cool down after it is turned off. Keep children away from the fireplace to prevent burns from the hot glass.

  And just remember, never carry a baby or a young child whilst cooking at the hot plate or opening an oven!

  Make cooking enjoyable and fun for everyone, but make it safe.

  

  Tia replied 4 years, 4 months ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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