Thanksgiving is in a couple of weeks and soon you will be deciding on how you are going to prepare your turkey. Will you be baking it or using a deep fryer? According to NFPA, Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment. It is important to be properly prepared in case you have an accidental holiday fire. Orion Construction believes the holidays are a special time to spend with your friends and family, so here are a few cooking safety tips we would like to pass on to help keep you and your family safe this Thanksgiving.
If you are baking a turkey, follow these safety tips:
- Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stove top so you can keep an eye on the food.
- Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently.
- Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot, and kids should stay 3 feet away.
- Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
- Keep knives out of the reach of children.
- Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
- Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.
- Make sure your smoke alarms are working!
If you are deep frying a turkey, follow these safety tips:
- Fryers should always be used outdoors, on a solid level surface a safe distance from buildings and flammable materials. Do not place on a wooden deck, under a patio cover or in a garage.
- Do not overfill the fryer with oil. Oil can overflow causing the flames to engulf the pot.
- Never leave the fryer unattended because, since it doesn’t have a thermostat the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire.
- Never let children or pets near the fryer when in use or after use as the oil can remain hot for hours.
- Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts and wear long sleeves and safety goggles to protect from splatter.
- Make sure the turkey is completely thawed before it is placed in a fryer. Never cook a frozen turkey.
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- 4 to 12 pounds: one to three days
- 12 to 16 pounds: three to four days
- 16 to 20 pounds: four to five days
- 20 to 24 pounds: five to six days
- Have a fire extinguisher nearby.
- If a turkey fryer does catch, call 911 immediately.
Orion Construction wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season. Keep in mind that in the unfortunate event of a fire damage, we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (including holidays) for emergency services at 330-244-9708.
