A recipe for kitchen safety
[caption id="attachment_3819" align="alignright" width="150"]
Our author: Djazia Longo, Claims Agent[/caption]
With more and more people getting interested in the culinary arts, we’re spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Some of us are concerned about nutrition, others are born chefs, and still others have caught the foodography* bug. But whether we see cooking as an art form or simply love a good home-cooked meal, many of us are donning aprons and sallying up to the stove.
The kitchen, however, is the room in the house where mishaps are most likely to occur. Using various types of appliances and equipment can result in burns, cuts, falls and food poisoning. Moreover, all sorts of accidents happen in the kitchen, such as fire and flooding which can also cause damage to appliances and food spoilage.
The losses can be substantial and very costly, which is why it’s important to choose your coverage carefully when you take out home insurance. Different policies provide different kinds of coverage, so you need to consider the protection and the amount of coverage you want. It’s wise to do your homework before making a decision. Read your policy carefully and by all means contact a home insurance advisor.
Fortunately, you can develop some daily habits that can help prevent certain kinds of accidents and losses.
Here are some tips for reducing the risk of a kitchen disaster.
- Forgetfulness can lead to a burnt main course or, worse, a fire. Always use a kitchen timer to keep track of what’s cooking.
- Make sure you have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. It could save your life and limit your losses. For more information about what to do in case of fire, see the article Stomp out home fire hazards now in the “at home” section.
- Don’t leave sharp instruments like knives and scissors lying around. The same goes for other potential hazards like open cans. This is doubly important when there are children in the house.
- Try to unplug electric appliances such as food processors and toasters when they are not in use.
- Refrigerator/freezer:
- To avoid food spoilage clean your fridge and freezer regularly
- Avoid overfilling your freezer as it can block the air vents
- Prevent odours and mould by leaving an open box of baking soda in your fridge and changing it once a month or clean the fridge with a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice. If your fridge breaks down you can submit an insurance claim for food losses, provided your policy covers this type of loss. Check your policy or contact your insurer’s customer service department to speak with an agent. Bear in mind that whatever deductible you chose when you purchased your policy will apply to losses of this type.
These are just a few of the preventive measures you can take; there are many others. What do you do to make your kitchen a safer place? Let us know in the Comments section below. As always, your prudence and good judgement are your best allies in reducing your risk of accident.
So with a little dash of caution you can go ahead and enjoy cooking up a storm. Bon appétit!
*The term alludes to the popularity of cooking-centred media, especially since the advent of Instagram in 2010 and the sharing, there and on other social media, of photos and videos of delectable dishes and recipes, in addition to all the cooking-related TV shows, videos and blogs.
Djazia has been with belairdirect for four years, working as a claims agent. She’s passionate about travelling, cooking and music as well as helping people around her. She writes in her free time and is very much interested by the field of communications, which she touched upon while studying political science.
