Fall Safety Tips

The kitchen is the heart of the home, especially at Thanksgiving.  Kids love to be involved in holiday preparations.  Safety in the kitchen is important, especially on Thanksgiving Day when there is a lot of activity and people at home.  

Safety Tips

• Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop 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 the floor clear so you don't trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
• Keep knives out of 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.
• Never leave children alone in a room with a lit candle.
• Make sure your smoke alarms are working.  Test them by pushing the test button. 

Did you know? 

• Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment.

Have activities that keep kids out of the kitchen during this busy time.  Games, puzzles or books can keep them busy.  Kids can get involved in Thanksgiving preparations with recipes that can be done outside the kitchen.  

The greatest number of home cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day. Top cause is unattended equipment.

Keep children and pets away at all times.

Be Halloween Safe!  Halloween is a fun, and spooky, time of the year for kids.  Make trick-or-treating safe for your little monsters with a few easy safety tips.  

Halloween Fire Safety Tips 

• When choosing a costume, stay away from long trailing fabric.  If your child is wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so he or she can see out. 
• Provide children with flashlights to carry for lighting or glow sticks as part of their costume.
• Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper catch fire easily.  Keep all decorations away from open flames and other heat sources like light bulbs and heaters.
• Use battery-operated candles or glow-sticks in jack-o-lanterns.  If you use a real candle, use extreme caution.  Make sure children are watched at all times when candles are lit.  When lighting candles inside jack-o-lanterns, use long, fireplace-style matches or a utility lighter.  Be sure to place lit pumpkins well away from anything that can burn and far enough out of the way of trick-or-treaters, doorsteps, walkways and yards. 
• Remember to keep exits clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes.
• Make sure all smoke alarms in the home are working.
• Tell children to stay away from open flames including jack-o-lanterns with candles in them.  Be sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire.  (Have them practice, stopping immediately, dropping to the ground, covering their face with hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out.) 

Did you know?

Decorations are the first thing to ignite in 900 reported home fires each year.  Two of every five of these fires were started by a candle. 

Use flameless LED candles instead of candles to decorate the home and walkways.

Keep decorations away from flames and heat sources.

Provide children with flashlights to carry for lighting, or use glow sticks as part of their costume.