Experts offer multi-tasking masters, first-time cooks and ambitious culinary artists simple safety tips

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanksgiving dinner is the most anticipated meal of the year for Americans and an ideal opportunity for cooks to show off their culinary expertise. However, Thanksgiving is also considered the peak day for preventable cooking fires.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking fires are the top cause of home fires and are three times as likely to occur on Thanksgiving Day compared to any other day of the year. Americans will roast, bake, brine, grill and even deep fry more than 45 million turkeys on November 26.

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) offer these simple cooking safety tips to help keep you safe in the kitchen, regardless of your cooking style!

Safety Tips for the Multi-Tasking Master Chef

"Even the most experienced chefs make mistakes," said John Drengenberg, director of Consumer Safety at Underwriters Laboratories. "Trying to do too many things at once while cooking can potentially lead to accidental cooking fires and related injuries. Protect your family by being a smart and safe chef."

"A cooking fire can turn a holiday feast into a family tragedy," says Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. "By taking simple safety steps cooks can avoid cooking fires and keep the Thanksgiving celebration joyful."

Experts offer this advice for multi-tasking master chefs:

• Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking. Most fires in the kitchen occur because food is left unattended. If you must leave the kitchen briefly, carry an oven mitt with you as a reminder that something is cooking.
  

• Do not try to hold your child in one arm while cooking with the other. Holding a child while cooking is an invitation for a burn. Keep the cooking area clear of clutter and keep your child out of the kitchen while you're cooking.
  

• Keep your range top free of clutter. Don't overload a range top with too many pots and pans. Trying to cook all dishes at once could cause grease to accidentally spill onto a range top and cause a fire. Only cook with as many pots and pans as there are burners. Also, never use the oven cavity for storage.
  

Safety Tips for the First-Time Cook

First-time cooks may not be aware of the safety precautions they should take while cooking Thanksgiving dinner. On Thanksgiving Day, first-time cooks should:

• Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of emergency and know how to use it. Make sure the fire extinguisher is rated for grease fires and electrical fires and read the directions carefully. The acronym P.A.S.S. can help make sure you use it properly.
  • Pull the pin; Aim the spray nozzle low at the base of the fire; Squeeze the nozzle to spray the contents; Sweep back and forth as you spray the base of the fire.
    

• Keep smoke alarms connected while cooking. It can be tempting to disable smoke detectors, especially if they are triggered easily. However, smoke alarms can save lives. Make sure smoke alarms are installed and working.
  

Safety Tips for the Ambitious Cook

Ambitious cooks may find themselves trying new dishes or tweaking old recipes. Whether it's a traditional dish or an innovative culinary work of art, ambitious cooks should aim for high marks on taste and safety by:

• Never put a glass casserole or lid on the stove or over a burner. If the glass gets hot and explodes, it will send shards of glass in all directions, which can result in severe injury.
  

• Be extremely cautious if using a turkey fryer. Turkey fryers are not safety-certified because they pose a number of distinct safety concerns, including burn and fire hazards. If you do decide to use a turkey fryer this Thanksgiving, be extremely cautious and read all the safety tips on www.ul.com/consumers.
  

About Underwriters Laboratories

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing Standards for Safety for over a century. UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems annually with 20 billion UL Marks appearing on 72,000 manufacturers' products each year. UL's worldwide family of companies and network of service providers includes 64 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 98 countries. For more information, visit: http://www.ul.com/newsroom.

About the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) is a not-for-profit trade association representing manufacturers of major, portable and floor care home appliances, and suppliers to the industry and is headquartered in Washington, DC. AHAM's mission is to serve the home appliance industry while delivering value to consumers through leadership, education and advocacy. Visit AHAM's web site, http://www.aham.org, for consumer safety information on many home appliances.

Related Links

Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

UL Consumer Safety

SOURCE Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers ; Underwriters Laboratories

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RELATED LINKS
http://www.aham.org