Tips to Keep Your Family Safe in the Kitchen This Holiday Season

Kitchen fires spike on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and new data from Liberty Mutual Insurance reminds us that those family holiday meals can be a potential recipe for danger. According to claims data from Liberty Mutual Insurance, the nation’s fourth-largest home insurer, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day are the largest days for reported kitchen fires, with three times more than any other day of the year. The dangers are also magnified by a recent Liberty Mutual Insurance survey revealing that more than half of Americans plan to cook for family and friends during the holidays- with 42 percent of those cooking for groups of 11 or more - yet the large majority (83 percent) admit to engaging in dangerous cooking behaviors which increase the likelihood of kitchen fires.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking is the leading cause of home fires and the second leading cause of home fire deaths in the U.S. New data suggests that some of those fires can be prevented if people start practicing basic fire safety rules in the kitchen. For example, nearly a third (29 percent) of those surveyed by Liberty Mutual admit that they have disabled a smoke alarm while cooking. The majority of respondents have multi-tasked while cooking, with 65 percent confirming that they have left cooking food unattended to watch television, talk on the phone or do laundry.

To help keep the holidays safer in the kitchen, Liberty Mutual Insurance is teaming up with celebrity chef and nutritionist Cheryl Forberg to help educate Americans on safe holiday cooking. "The hectic nature of entertaining during the holidays makes it easy to overlook even the most basic cooking safety rules," said Forberg. "Our hope is that home chefs will increase their awareness and take action to ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday season for everyone.”

Dangerous Cooking Behaviors

The Liberty Mutual Insurance survey of more than 1,000 adults revealed that parents are particularly prone to engaging in dangerous cooking habits, with 10 percent more parents admitting to disabling a smoke alarm while cooking compared to those without children. Parents also tend to leave the kitchen more frequently while cooking, including one in five admitting to giving their child a bath while food is cooking and 52 percent of parents leaving the room to talk or text on the phone.

Looking at the general survey population, a startling one in 10 adults has actually left the home completely while cooking, and others left cooking food unattended to perform non-essential activities.

Tips for Safe Holiday Cooking

These dangerous cooking behaviors not only pose risk to home and personal safety, but can result in significant economic repercussions. In 2011, cooking was involved in an estimated 156,300 home structure fires, causing 470 deaths, 5,390 injuries and $1 billion in direct property damage, according to the NFPA.

To help keep your family and your home safe this holiday season, Forberg encourages all home chefs to follow these simply fire safety tips:

1. Stay in the kitchen. Don't leave the kitchen when you are frying, broiling or grilling. If you leave the kitchen even for a brief time, be sure to turn off all of the burners on the stovetop. Don't use the stovetop or oven if you are tired or have consumed alcohol or drugs.

2. Set a timer as a reminder that the range or stove is on. Ranges were involved in three of every five home cooking fires in 2011, with ovens accounting for 16 percent, according to the NFPA. Check your food frequently, and use a timer to remind yourself that the range, stove or oven is on. If you tend to do a lot of cooking, invest in a second or third timer. They’re an inexpensive way to stay safe while ensuring that your holiday dishes do not overcook.

3. Keep anything that can catch on fire away from the stovetop. Pot holders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, towels and other flammable objects should be kept a safe distance from the stovetop.

4. Keep a lid or cookie sheet, baking soda and oven mitt nearby when you're cooking to use in case of a grease fire. Fire extinguisher use without training can cause a grease fire to spread and increase the chances of serious injury.

5. Ensure your smoke alarm is fully functional before the holiday cooking season begins. Install a photoelectric smoke alarm (or one having a hush button feature) that is at least 10 feet away from your kitchen and use the test button to check it each month. Replace the battery at least once per year and never disable a smoke alarm.

For additional information about holiday cooking safety, visit www.LibertyMutual.com/holidaycooking and join the conversation on Twitter @LibertyMutual with #holidaycooking.