While it’s usually exciting to prepare and make your favorite dishes in the kitchen, you have to do it by abiding by the basic kitchen safety rules. Many children don’t know this, but numerous kitchen hazards can cause harm to you or lead to an accident in the kitchen.
Leaving sharp knives lying around, being exposed to an open flame from the stovetop or oven, using electrical appliances wrongly, and even having bacteria in the kitchen are all causes for concern. To remain secure while working in the kitchen and to keep those around you safe, it is essential that you know and pays close attention to the various kitchen safety rules.
Recently, Joan Young, a professional essay writer from AdvancedWriters, did some research on the kitchen safety rules that applies to students and was able to compile some rules. We’re going to list them here, so you can read up and become acquainted with them to avoid repeating safety mistakes.
Important Kitchen Safety Rules for Students
To prevent any form of harm to yourself and those around you, you have to pay attention to what we’re going to list here while also paying attention to what happens around you when you’re in the kitchen. You have to have a proper system and plan when cooking as well as the right cooking equipment. So, to be safe in the kitchen, here are certain rules you should abide by;
Always Wear Footwear
You should wear some form of footwear in the kitchen, be it shoes or slippers, to avoid suffering a form of injury from sharp objects falling or spillage from hot food or liquid. Keeping your feet enclosed will offer some level of protection against any vice you might not notice immediately.
Wear Safe Clothing
Make sure that you don’t have on dangling jewelry or wear baggy or long clothes when working in the kitchen. Having loose clothing hanging about can latch onto something which can cause bigger damage, for example, an open flame on a stove or a pot of boiling water. The best attire to wear during kitchen time remains sleeveless clothing or clothing with fitted sleeves. Also, don’t wear synthetic or inflammable clothing in the kitchen.
Avoid Burns
Do your best to ensure that you’re not a victim of burns when you’re working in the kitchen. Try to keep your pot handles out of your way or within reach of kids. This would help avoid a scenario where someone knocks off the pot from your stove and food flies everywhere, resulting in burns. Also, keep your oven mitts and potholders very handy when you’re doing something on the oven or on top of the stovetop.
Don’t Forget to Wash Your Hands
This might come off as a joke, but a lot of people forget to wash their hands before and after working in the kitchen. It is highly important to wash your hands with soap and water before and after working in the kitchen.
Also, dry your hands with paper towels or the kitchen rag. Don’t use the dish towels to wipe your hands as they can have residue of fresh food on them, and drying your hands with them can lead to food poisoning. Remember to wipe your sinks and kitchen surfaces after making use of the kitchen.
Handle Hot Dishes with Care
Exposing yourself to hot dishes serves as a risk to yourself and those around you. Therefore, never try to carry a hot dish with your bare hands and never leave the pot unattended when your burner is on. Also, if you’re trying to remove a hot lid, try to use the oven mitts as that will help you not to burn your hands.
When boiling water, don’t fill up your pot as it will bubble and overflow when it reaches its boiling limit. Ensure you have a clear path and be mindful when moving a pot of boiling water from your stove so you don’t accidentally scar yourself.
Store Food Items Properly
When you’re instructed on managing and storing food materials in the kitchen, your method of storing these food materials will determine their freshness and the safety of the food before you eat them. So, when your parents are done with the shopping, put all the fresh food in the refrigerator and place them properly in their holders, which determines the temperature that gets to the food.
- Wrap fresh meat properly, so it is isolated completely from other food materials.
- Keep your food ingredients properly stored and separated because different foods have different expiry dates, and storing them together can increase their rate of oxidation.
- Quickly put away foods that are temperature-sensitive, like dairy products or raw meat or fish, as they can get spoiled and contaminate your other food ingredients.
Cooking Safely with Oils
While oils can be cool to touch when they’re cold, the same cannot be said when they’re hot. To ensure that you don’t suffer any burn injury when preparing a meal with oil, ensure that you gradually heat the oil.
To prevent food from burning, keep an eye on the food on the stove or in the oven, and turn it off if something smells or appears to be burning. Wait until the pots and pans have cooled completely before you attempt to wash and clean them.
Be Careful When Using Sharp Objects
Remember to be careful when using sharp objects such as knives, bottles, or can openers and what is naught in the kitchen. Ensure that you keep your knife away from the reach of kids after use. When you peel or slice with a knife, slice away from your hands so if you miss or slip, you don’t end up cutting yourself or inflicting yourself with a big injury.
When you’re chopping with a board, curl your fingers under the knife blade and hold whatever you want to cut by the fingertips, so you can use your knuckles to guide the blade of the knife. Don’t be tempted to lick off any spreads or leftovers on the knife with your tongue, as you can inflict damage on your tongue.
Conclusion
To stay safe requires that you pay attention to what goes on around you in the kitchen and that you have and use the right tools to handle the job. You have nothing to worry about if you can follow our advice here.