Your kitchen is one of the most frequently visited rooms in the house but it’s also very accident-prone due to a lot of things happening there.
Kitchen design has to protect both you, your family, and the guests from accidents, and achieving that is not expensive nor complex.
Reduce the risk of cuts
Many products are reducing the risk of accidents in the kitchen. Get knife blocks with slots that keep you safe from cutting. If you have kids, make sure they don’t cut themselves if they break a plate by getting them plastic dishes.
Appliances with a lock-out option
You don’t have to start replacing all of your electrical appliances in the kitchen but your next purchase should include an appliance with programmable lock-out system or lock-out covers. Electrical and heating appliances can be dangerous for both children and adults and the lock-out options reduce the chance of that danger happening.
Photo by Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center
Separate ovens and refrigerators or freezers
It’s best to keep these appliances separated but if they really must be placed on the same wall, then place a bank of cupboards between then.
The stove should also be properly ventilated so that the heat doesn’t collect.
Photo by Urban Project Management
Otherwise, you will be forcing the motor inside the fridge and freezer to work very hard in order to keep the things inside cool. Most likely, they will break down sooner than expected. However, there’s another danger here lurking – a fridge that doesn’t keep the food cold enough could lead to food poisoning.
Prevent slips and falls
Slip-resistant flooring is highly important in the kitchen. The floor gets frequently wet, which means there’s a high risk of slipping, falling, and seriously injuring yourself.
Photo by Cornerstone Construction and Property Services
Textured tile, laminate, as well as glazed ceramic tile are good choices for the kitchen floor. However, if you don’t have that type of flooring, or you want additional protection in some areas, it’s best to opt for an anti slip mat that’s durable and comes with increased traction.
Move stoves or ranges away from windows
If the wind blows through the window at some point, the hot burners could easily start a fire on the kitchen curtains.
Photo by Dennis Mayer – Photographer
Also, the stove is best to keep away from the doors where people tend to gather. Otherwise, they could easily get burned while passing through the door or standing near them.
Anti-scald Control
Hot tap water could easily cause major burns that have to even be treated at the hospital. For that reason, it’s best to install anti-scald controls that prevent sudden temperature changes in tap water. This will ensure you can get hot water without burning your skin just because you didn’t expect the water to be that hot that fast.
Appropriate kitchen lighting
You need to have good kitchen lighting throughout the whole kitchen, especially in the areas where you prepare and cook food.
More precisely, the kitchen island should involve pendant lamps that provide you with focused light that you need for precise food cutting and preparation. Just make sure the pendants are not at the height at which people can bump their heads.
Fire extinguisher location
It’s necessary to have at least one functional fire extinguisher inside your home. As the kitchen is a room where most accidents of different types happen, it’s best to keep the fire extinguisher there. Still, you need to keep it in an easy-reachable, obvious place and away from the stove and cooktop. And, of course, teach everybody in the family how to properly use it.
Mind the electrical switches, plugs, and lighting fixtures
These small items should be kept away from water sources but you also need to stay away from them if your hands are wet. In most countries, building codes require that every electrical receptacle should be grounded, as well as protected with ground-fault circuit interrupters.
Also, it’s good to have all wall-mounted room controls at least 15 inches above the floor.
Get a safe cooktop
Cooktops with burners in a staggered layout or just one straight row could prevent scalds from getting over boiling pots. This is also the reason why cooktop controls are best if placed in the front or on the side.
Final words
Every kitchen is unique but to make it safe for you and your family, the same rules should be followed. Make your kitchen a safer place as soon as possible – better to be safe than sorry.