November 2012
Safety in the Kitchen:
Turn off stoves and hotplates if you leave the kitchen to answer the phone or door. One handy hint a
fireman offered, was to always have a spoon beside your stove. As soon as the phone rings or someone
knocks on the door, always pick up the spoon and take it with you to the party. That way, if the
conversation becomes involved, you have a reminder that something is about to burn on the stove, so you
can excuse yourself and rush back to turn it off, before continuing your lengthy conversation.
Never hang tea-towels/ oven mitts over the oven door-handle, this is a common cause of kitchen fire.
Be aware of visiting grandchildren, always try and ensure that appliance cords are not hanging down from
countertops and that saucepan handles are turned away from the edge of the stove top. Preferably use the
back hotplates instead of the front ones. Try using non-slip placemats instead of tablecloths when
grandchildren visit.
Install a fire extinguisher and fire blanket in the kitchen, and know how to use them. They should be
situated at least one metre away from the stove and between the stove and the nearest exit. Fire blankets
are quite inexpensive and available from most large retailers and hardware stores.
If cooking oil catches fire, turn off the hotplate and slide the lid over the pan or use a fire blanket to
smother the fire. Never use water for oil fires. Water can cause the fire to spread rapidly and cause horrific
burns.
Don't carry pans of hot or burning oil through the house as this may spread the fire and cause serious
injury.
If you don’t feel confident that you can put it out, switch off the appliance, leave the premises and call the
NSW Fire and Rescue on Triple Zero (000) from a safe distance.
USING MICROWAVES
Food cooked in a microwave can sometimes cook unevenly, or sometimes be potentially dangerous by
becoming ‘super-heated’. Read your instruction manual carefully and always observe the recommended
cooking times.
Using a microwave safe lid or plastic wrap to cover food will help ensure even cooking. But never
stick plastic wrap down ‘tight as a drum’ – just apply loosely so that steam can escape.
Plastic wrap should not be in contact with the food to be heated in a microwave.
Avoid burns when removing covers from containers by starting at a corner facing away from you.
Foods that have a filling ie: Pies, Pasties, Jam Donuts etc, may seem just warm on the outside, but
can be boiling hot on the inside. Always cut open to check for steam before taking a bite. This also
applies when heating liquids, the container may feel cool, but the liquid may be scalding hot. It is
recommended never to heat baby’s bottles in a microwave for that reason.
Never cook eggs in their shell – they will explode.
Avoid cooking stuffed poultry – it is hard to ensure the stuffing will reach a high enough
temperature to kill harmful bacteria.
Don’t attempt to heat things in metal containers – these will simply reflect the microwaves (and
generally causes arcing). Never use plastic grocery bags, newspaper or plastic containers made for
frozen foods (such as ice-cream containers) in your microwave.
Fire safety:
New South Wales Fire and Rescue Statistics reveal:
Almost half of all home fires are started in the kitchen and 43% of all fire fatalities occur in winter.
The 65 years and over age group represents over 31% of all fire death victims.
The risk of fire fatality to people 65 years and over is nearly three times greater than that of the
general community.
It is a legal requirement in NSW to have smoke alarms (sometimes mistakenly referred to as “smoke
detectors”) in every residential property where people sleep. Smoke alarms should be installed in the living
area and in the hallway near bedrooms – The NSW Fire and Rescue recommends the use of photoelectric
smoke alarms, which are less prone to false alarms caused by cooking.
The Building Legislation Amendment (Smoke Alarms) Act 2005 and the Environmental Planning and
Assessment Amendment (Smoke Alarms) Regulation 2006 commenced in NSW on 1 May 2006. This
Legislation refers to residential accommodation across NSW and requires the installation of one or more
smoke alarms in buildings in which persons sleep, smoke alarms installed in such buildings must be
operational, and persons do not remove or interfere with the operation of smoke alarms installed in such
buildings.
On February 25, 2011, changes to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation came into effect,
making it mandatory for smoke alarms to be installed in moveable dwellings where people sleep. This
includes caravans, campervans, holiday vans, park van annexes and associated structures. The regulation
also applies to moveable dwellings which are not regularly moved but are used for sleeping, such as site
vans and caravans in backyards. It does not however apply to a typical camping tent.
A person who does not comply with the legislation is guilty of an offence (maximum penalty $550).
www.planning.nsw.gov.au/PlanningSystem/Circularsandguidelines/SmokeAlarms/tabid/84/language/en-US/Default.aspx
From 1999 to 2010, Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters attended more than 692 fires involving
moveable accommodation vehicles, which resulted in 12 deaths and another 72 injuries.
SABRE (Smoke Alarm Battery Replacement for the Elderly) is a community program where a
representative of the local NSW Fire Brigade installs the client’s smoke alarm or batteries at no installation
cost. To be eligible for this assistance you must live in a situation with limited domestic support. This
means those persons without family, relatives or friends who are able to assist.
If you would like to know more about this program or their safety tips, your closest fire station, or obtain
some of their fact sheets – call NSW Fire and Rescue head office (02) 9265 2999. www.fire.nsw.gov.au
AIDER (Assist Infirm Disabled and Elderly Residents) is a community program provided by NSW Rural Fire
Service. This is a one-off free service offered to older people and people with a disabling condition, who
have little or no support from family, relatives, friends or other services. The property must be bush fire
prone, meaning an area of land that can support a bush fire or is likely to be subject to bush fire attack.
This once off FREE service may include : removing leaves, sticks and fallen branches; trimming overhanging
branches; clearing gutters; slashing long grass. An inspection of your property must be completed to assess
eligibility and recommend work to be carried out by the Rural Fire Service teams. To request assistance
under the AIDER program call (02) 8741 4955 or visit the webpage: http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/aider
Reference List
Independent Living Centre NSW = 1300 885 886
www.ilcnsw.asn.au
NSW Fire and Rescue head office = (02) 9265 2999
www.fire.nsw.gov.au
NSW Office of Fair Trading = 13 32 20
www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au
NSW Rural Fire Service head office = (02) 8741 5555
www.rfs.nsw.gov.au