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The kitchen is often described as the heart of the home. It’s where families cook and eat, it’s where memories are made and delicious meals that everyone loves are shared. We don’t want to think about the things that can go wrong or the potential accidents that can occur. It’s a fact of life: that they do happen. 

It doesn’t have to be a frightening nightmare to deal with either. Here are three common kitchen emergencies and how to deal with them and keep a cool head. 

If you do find yourself at the mercy of a kitchen based disaster, the first and most important thing you need to ensure is that you keep a cool, calm head, even if you’re panicking on the inside. Breathe deeply and slowly and keep others around you calm and quiet too. 

A kitchen fire can be an incredibly scary prospect, but one that can be dealt with quickly and calmly. If the source is from a pan, or from the stove top, then smother the flames with a dampened tea towel or dampened dishcloth. Once the fire has dissipated remove the pan from the heat source and open all the windows. Never use water as this can spread the flames. 

If the oven has set on fire, firstly ensure it is safe to go into the room. If the fire is contained in the appliance turn it off and make sure the electricity supply to it is cut off. Keep the oven door closed as a lack of oxygen will put the fire out. Once it is out, open all the windows and survey the damage. An oven can be an expensive piece of equipment to replace, so if you cannot claim for it on your insurance policy, it might be worth looking into getting a small loan from Cash Lady to help you afford to buy a new or second-hand replacement. 

There are a variety of different injuries and accidents that can occur in the kitchen. Here are just a few of the most common. 

If you have been burned by a pan, or something from a hot pan or dish has dripped on to you, 3ba Training advises that you run the affected area under lukewarm to cold water for a few minutes. Let the skin air dry and assess the severity. Never put butter or any other emollients onto a burn, and if the skin is particularly badly blistered visit the Emergency Room. 

If you have cut yourself with a knife or other sharp object, then you can stop the bleeding and clean the cut at the same time by running the affected area under cold water. Dry with a clean, sterile cloth and then apply an adhesive dressing to avoid any contamination. Larger cuts should be stitched at the Emergency Room. 

Toxic chemicals such as bleaches and detergents are often kept in kitchen cupboards. Make sure these are completely out of reach of small children and toddlers, in a high cupboard, or locked away if possible. 

Make sure the same products are not stored anywhere near fresh foods, or the containers that fresh foods are kept in to avoid contamination.

 

In the event of anyone ingesting them, immediately take the person and the container that the chemicals were in, to the Emergency Room to seek urgent medical treatment. Never induce vomiting or give the person any home remedies to take.