Passaic County Home Insurance: Holiday Cooking Safety Tips
Studies have shown that Thanksgiving, as well as Christmas, are the days with the highest reported numbers of kitchen fires in the U.S. In addition, 83% of people admit to engaging in dangerous cooking behaviors during the holidays; such as watching TV while food is cooking or disabling the smoke alarm. These risks are only exacerbated by a house full of guests and hectic holiday schedules.
No matter what holiday you celebrate, the fact is that a lot of holiday cooking can and will be going on this week, and in order to protect not only yourself and your family, but also your home, there are certain best practices you should follow when cooking. The following are some common holiday cooking safety tips to potentially help reduce your Passaic County Home Insurance risks.
One of the biggest risks you may run into with holiday cooking is a fire. This can be caused by many factors; negligence, overcooking, having too many items in the kitchen, etc. One way to potentially avoid this is to take some of the “rush” out of the kitchen. This can be done by making some of your dishes in advance, rather than waiting until the day of the holiday to make everything. It’s also important not to multitask. Insurance experts advise that you avoid distracting behavior such as watching a TV or talking on the phone while you have something on the stove or multiple items cooking at once.
Another common cause of fire or injury in the kitchen is too much clutter. Be sure to have only the essential ingredients and cooking utensils you will need out. This will help you remain organized and allow you to concentrate more on the task at hand rather than rushing. Crowd control is also important; ever hear the phrase “There’s too many cooks in the kitchen?” It’s natural for your well-meaning guests to want to help; however if they are in the way they need to be told so to prevent injury.
One final risk that many people don’t think twice about is disabling their smoke alarm. Maybe you have a sensitive alarm that goes off at the slightest sense of heat. It may be very tempting to disable the alarm “temporarily.” The problem is, oftentimes homeowners forget that they’ve disabled the alarm and sadly, almost two-thirds of house fire deaths are the result of homes without working smoke alarms.
These are some of the most common safety tips you can follow as a homeowner to prevent Passaic County Home Insurance Risks during the holidays. At Provident Protection Plus Insurance Agency, we understand the importance of protecting your home and your family. Please contact us today at (888) 990-0526 to learn more about our Homeowners Insurance policies as well as our other Personal Insurance lines.