For Consumers

Take Care When Cooking

Everyone must be especially careful when cooking with oil or fat.

Leaving cooking unattended, even for a few moments, is one of the most common and preventable causes of home fires, with over 30 per cent of Victorian house fires starting in the kitchen or cooking area.

Fat or cooking oil will ignite when it reaches a certain temperature.

Throwing water on the fire can make it worse by spreading the flaming oil onto people and also spreading the fire. The flames need to be smothered to stop the blaze.

In 2006/07, over 1,650 people were admitted to Victorian hospitals suffering scald burns – half of these caused by hot oil or water.

Many people fail to realise the potential severity of scald burns.

Extensive scald injuries can be life threatening, especially in young people and the elderly. Most scald injuries that occur in the home are easily preventable.

ESV recommends the following to avoid cooking becoming a recipe for disaster:

Never leave cooking unattended
Never get distracted. If you’re called away, turn off the gas.
Never allow a child to cook without adult supervision.
Turn pot handles away from the stove edge
Keep stoves free of grease and fat build-up
Hang tea-towels away from the stove
Wear tight-fitting sleeves when cooking
Ensure the exhaust fan above the stove is clean and free of grease and fat build-up
Have a fire blanket and extinguisher in the kitchen
Ensure smoke alarms are working
Have a fire escape plan in place
Always keep a fire blanket in your kitchen.
Feeling cold? Don’t use cooking appliances as heaters. They are not designed for this purpose.
While cooking with gas, make sure the flame doesn’t go out – gas can escape silently and invisibly.
If cooking catches fire, turn the gas or electricity off immediately. Carefully place the lid over the pan or cover the flames with a fire blanket – never pour water over the flames.