Kitchen Safety Rules

Basic Rules of Kitchen Safety
Cooking is fun, but kitchen safety is a priority. There are many pieces of equipment and environmental hazards that can be extremely dangerous. Sharp objects like knives, open fire by the oven, electrical appliances, and even bacteria around the kitchen. Observing basic rules of kitchen safety is a good habit to develop. Always pay attention to what you’re doing in the kitchen because one slip can cause serious injury or accidents. To prevent serious injuries or accidents: always pay attention to what you’re doing, adopt a plan for kitchen cleanliness, and have necessary safety equipment at your disposal. It’s also important to be aware of who is in the space – for example, children should never be left alone in the kitchen!


Store knives in a wooden block or in a drawer. Make sure the knives are out of the reach of children. Follow these knife safety tips to prevent injury.

Never cook in loose clothes and keep long hair tied back. You don’t want anything accidentally catching fire (not to mention hair ending up in the food!).

Never cook while wearing dangling jewelry. A bracelet can get tangled around pot handles.

Keep potholders nearby and use them! Be careful not to leave them near an open flame.

Turn pot handles away from the front of the stove. Children can’t grab them, and adults can’t bump into them if they’re out of the way.


Don’t let temperature-sensitive foods sit out in the kitchen. Raw meat, fish, and certain dairy products can spoil quickly, so refrigerate or freeze them right away.

Wipe up spills immediately. Keep the floor dry so that no one slips and falls.

Separate raw meat and poultry from other items whenever you use or store them. This precaution avoids cross-contamination of harmful bacteria from one food to another.

Wash your hands before handling food and after handling meat or poultry. Hands can be a virtual freight train of bacteria.

Get a fire extinguisher for your kitchen. This device may not do much for your cherries jubilee, but it can avert a disaster. You should do your best to prevent a kitchen fire, but sometimes it’s out of your hands. So, make sure you know how to use the extinguisher before a fire breaks out. You can’t waste any time reading the directions amidst the flames.