The City of Redwood City and the City of San Carlos fire department have put together some safety tips this Thanksgiving to help ensure you and your guests can enjoy a safe holiday,
Stay in the kitchen when you’re cooking
- Keep an eye on the stovetop instead of checking on guests or running a quick errand.
- Make sure that anything that can catch fire including oven mitts, wooden utensils and towels are away from your stovetop.
Keep kids away from the stove
- Unsupervised kids may be tempted to taste the food or may get burned by the hot surface or liquids.
- Keep children at least three feet away from a hot stove, as the steam or splash from hot foods and liquids could cause serious burns or injury.
Keep the kitchen floor and counters clear
- Make sure the floor is clear of tripping hazards like toys, pocketbooks or bags.
- Keep potentially dangerous items on the counter out of the reach of children, such as knives, or dangling electric cords.
Make sure your smoke alarms are working
- Test smoke alarms by pushing the test button.
- If you aren’t in the habit of changing your smoke alarm batteries when you change your clocks in the fall and spring, change the batteries before this Thanksgiving.
Know how to put out small cooking fires
- Smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
- For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
- If you have any doubt about fighting a small fire, call 9–1–1 or the local emergency number from outside the home.
Take extra caution with turkey fryers
- Keep outdoor fryers off decks, out of garages and a safe distance away from trees and other structures.
- Propane-fire turkey fryers must be used outdoors.
- Watch the weather. If rain or snow hits the hot cooking oil, the oil may splatter or turn to steam, leading to burns.
- Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and completely dry before cooking it. A partially thawed turkey will cause the oil to splatter leading to serious burns.
- Turn off the burner before lowering the turkey into the oil. Once the turkey is submerged, turn the burner on.
- Skip the stuffing when frying turkey, and avoid water-based marinades.
- Keep children and pets away from the fryer at all times.
Teach kids that hot things can burn
- Teach children that hot things can burn, including hot liquid and steam.
- Keep pot handles turned inward. Keep clothing from coming in contact with flames or heating elements.
How to prevent scalds
- Always supervise a child in or near a bathtub.
- Test the water at the faucet by moving your hand, wrist and forearm through the water. The water should feel warm, not hot, to the touch.
How to treat scalds
- Treat a burn right away.
- Cool the burn with cool running water for up to 20 minutes.
- Cover the burn with a sterile material to protect from infection.
- Use a clean dry dressing or plastic cling film wrap to cover the burn.
- For deep or extensive burns of any size, send the patient immediately to the hospital for further medical treatment.
For more safety tips, go www.nfpa.org for more online resources.
