THANKSGIVING SAFETY TIPS

Thanksgiving....A day full of good food, family and friends and the chaos that goes with trying to feed and entertain a large gathering. In addition to your cooking and entertaining, remind your families and loved ones to take a minute to focus on safety so that your holidays are happy ones.

• Cooking fires are more than three times as likely to occur on Thanksgiving Day than on any other day of the year.
• An estimated 2,000 Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings are reported to US Fire Departments each year. These fires cause an average of 5 deaths, 25 injuries and $ 21 million dollars in property damage and loss.
• Smaller confined fires account for 71% of Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings.
• Thanksgiving Day fires occur most frequently in the afternoon hours from 12 to 4 p.m. with the peak time from noon to 1 p.m.
• Cooking is the leading cause of all Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings at 69%. Nearly all of these (97%) are small confined fires with limited damage.

SAFETY TIPS FOR THE KITCHEN:
Although you get busy with the preparations, make sure safety is still a top priority:

• Keep the cooking range free of clutter. Even though you have multiple dished to prepare, don't overload a cook top with too many pots and pans. Grease can be more easily spilled onto a range and cause a fire.
• Do not try to hold children while cooking. Holding a child while cooking is an open invitation for a burn for either the child or the parent or both. It's best to keep children out of the kitchen while all of the cooking is going on.
• Never put a glass casserole dish or lid over a hot burner. If it gets overheated, it can explode and send shards of glass in all directions.
• Evaluate all appliances and look for the UL mark. When purchasing electronic appliances such as slow cookers, warmers or electric knives, be sure to look for the UL or Underwriters Laboratory mark. The UL Mark is one of the most widely recognized and trusted symbols among consumers.  Manufactures use it to indicate that their products have met specific safety standards and passed rigorous testing procedures.
• Avoid using Turkey Fryers. Turkey fryers pose a number of distinct safety measures, not limited to burns and fire hazards. For those reasons, Underwriters Labs does not currently certify any turkey fryers. If you choose to use a turkey fryer for your Thanksgiving feast, be sure to take all recommended precautions and check the UL website for turkey fryer safety tips here.
• Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and know how to use it. Make sure the extinguisher is UL listed and rated for grease and electrical fires. Read the directions carefully and know how to use it *BEFORE* an emergency occurs.
• Remember, P.A.S.S or 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.
• Always keep a potholder, oven mitt and lid handy while doing any cooking.  If a small fire starts in a pan on the stove, put on a flame resistant mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the burner and do not remove the lid until the pan and food has cooled.
• Never wear loose fitting clothing while cooking.  Long, open sleeves can easily ignite and catch fire from a gas flame or hot burner. Wear short, close fitting garments or tightly rolled sleeves. Remember to wear long hair pulled back from your face.
• Keep smoke detectors connected while cooking. Smoke alarms save lives. Make sure your smoke detectors have fresh batteries and that the unit is working.
• Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking. Most kitchen fires occur because food is left on the store unattended.
• Turn pot handles away from the edge of the stove. Make sure that pot handles are not hanging over the front of the stove. Pot handles can be to easily bumped or grabbed by small children. Turn all handles toward the back of the stove for safety.

By keeping the above tips in mind, not only on Thanksgiving but everyday, you will keep your family and loved one's safe. Don't become a holiday fire statistic - Have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving!