Safety

Kitchen is not for cooks only or far parents only. The kitchen is where the family meets. Most parents wants their children to learn and want  a kitchen where children can help bake and cook. Helping cooking is an enjoyable experience for both kids and parents, and it brings the family closer. Kitchens are meant to be kid-filled. Whether you’re a grandparent, a parent , or you will be on day, it’s important to consider the kid-factor. After all, you want to make sure they can reach the counter to bake those chocolate chip cookies; and that they won’t burn their hand when they try to grab a  hot one from a just-out-of-the-oven sheet.

However, the kitchen has the potential to cause harmful, even fatal, injuries with the danger of fires, scalding, cuts, and falls. Protect your family by following the safety recommendations below:

    • Always keep a fire extinguisher and a blanket in the Kitchen for emergency uses. Fire Blankets are very essential for cases of frying oil fire, as using water will make the fire worse. Make sure the extinguisher is rated for Class B fires or Class ABC, test the equipment at least every six months, and make sure everyone in the family knows how to use it.
    • Fire extinguisher and blanket must be located away from cooking surface, and near the exit of the kitchen. They must be clearly visible, and easily accessible.
    • Gas cylinder: Gas cylinders must be outside the kitchen, and better be in a closed dedicated place. Plan for more than one gas cylinder. The cylinders area should be closed to avoid kids playing with/nearby them.
    • Gas valve: Gas choke valve/regulator must be installed between the gas cylinder and the cookers.
    • Gas pipes: Please select genuine gas pipes/hoses. Cheap connection will result in leaks that might lead to accidents. So, it does worth it to have genuine valves and connections. Also, even-though gas pipes/hoses can be placed under the sun, however it is recommend to place all these connection either inside the wall or in shades to avoid direct sunlight damaging these connection in a long period. For long distances pipes, please use GI pipes.
    • Height for children: it is recommended to consider placing cookers, ovens, and appliances doors and touch screens away from reach of children. The same to be applied for the location of hazards/cleaning chemicals, which is to be located in a wall cabinet or in a locked cabinet.
    • If you are planning for Free standing cooker/oven, then it is recommend to install an elevated area dedicated for it, in order for children not to reach the gas knobs, and the fire.
    • Always plan for locked cabinets for hazards/cleaning chemicals, or keep these chemicals in a high wall cabinet.
    • Always place Electrical outlet high and away from children reach
    • The back grill of Fridges/freezers is a very hot heat exchanger which can be a burning hazard for children. Plan the location of your fridge/freezer carefully in case it is free standing or better plan for built-in fridge cabinet.
    • Always keep Cold flour in the fridge easily accessible. Cold Flour is the best solution for fire burns when applied on skin, and it even prevents burn marks and scars.
    • Always keep Knives and forks place far away from reach of children.

  • Non cleaned hood filters are potential fire hazards. Always clean your hood filters at least every 3 months. Use degreasers chemicals for cleaning.
  • Place your Kitchen AC as far away from cooker and cooking surfaces. Always make sure the ventilation hood fan is working while cooking, else AC filters will be clogged with oil which can be a cleaning nightmare and health hazards. Always check AC filters and clean them regularly. Replace these filters if the oil contamination is high.
  • Covering the entire kitchen with ceramics or similar material is highly recommended. It is also recommended that these ceramics are plain smooth as non-plain/smooth ceramics textures are traps for dirt, oil, and bacteria. Smooth plain ceramics are difficult for dirt/oil to stick on and are very easy to clean. New modern kitchen designs have 3D texture wall materiel/ceramics/stones, if your kitchen have these, then keep them clean.
  • Deep Cleaning of the kitchen will always be required. Design you kitchen with Proper drainage and slope and a proper manhole for continuous easy cleaning the kitchen. Place your kitchen manhole on the far corner near the outside door of the kitchen. Use at least 8” manhole for easy drainage. Use good quality stainless steel or brass Manhole covers to avoid rust of the manhole.
  • Keep a small size trash/waste basket under the sink (near food preparation area), and keep a heavy duty garbage bin near the outside door of the kitchen. Make sure the garbage is a closed type to avoid smells and to avoid animals (stray cats) opening it. Also it is recommend for this garbage bin to have wheels for easy transport to municipality garbage area outside the house. It is also recommended for the garbage area to be from ceramics or tiles for easy cleaning of the garbage area.
  • Plan for a dedicated area for rice and flour bags. As if you put these on floor, they can easily get contaminated with cleaning water.
  • it is recommended to have the kitchen doors made of fire-proof materiel.
  • make sure your floor cabinets are at least 10cm above the floor either by planning this in the design, or for the cabinets to have legs.
  • For children safety, always Select a cooker/oven that does not open the gas and ignite simply by turning the gas knob. The new cookers requires special steps to open the gas, ignite, and continue the fire, and/or fire detector which will shut-off the gas in case their is no fire to prevent gas filling the kitchen.  Talk to MKW to explain the new cookers safety.