Keep Thanksgiving safe with cooking safety

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Charles Ladnier
  • 17th Training Wing Safety Office
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The kitchen is the heart of the home, especially on Thanksgiving.  On Thanksgiving, safety in the kitchen is important when a lot of activities and people in the home.

If frying a turkey, make sure to take the proper precautions.

On average every year deep-fryer fires are responsible for five deaths, 60 injuries, the destruction of 900 homes and more than $15 million in property damage, according to the National Fire Protection.

According to American Society of Safety Engineers, the following are the biggest dangers associated with deep frying a turkey:

· Units can easily tip over, spilling hot cooking oil over a large area.
· An overfilled cooking pot or partially frozen turkey will cause cooking oil to spill when the turkey is inserted.
· A small amount of cooking oil coming into contact with the burner can cause a large grease fire.
· Without thermostat controls, deep fryers have the potential to overheat the oil to the point of combustion.
· The sides of the cooking pot, lid, and pot handles can get dangerously hot, creating severe burn hazards.

If frying a turkey, use these safety tips:

· Fryers should always be used outdoors on a solid level surface and a safe distance from buildings and flammable materials.
· Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles.
· If possible, wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter.
· Make sure the turkey is completely thawed before it is placed in a fryer.
· Keep all-purpose or special kitchen fire extinguishers nearby.
· If a turkey fryer fire occurs, call 911 immediately.

Thanksgiving dinner is one of the most anticipated meals of the year.  Regardless of the cooking style or whether a person is a multi-tasking master, first-time chef or just eating, these safety tips should help to keep the Thanksgiving celebration from going up in smoke.