If you are planning a kitchen from scratch, keep safety in mind - more accidents happen in the kitchen than anywhere else in the home. There should be adequate workspace beside the cooker, so you have plenty of room both to work and to place hot dishes safely. Ideally, the hob should be close to the sink so that pans don't need to be carried far.
- Turn saucepan handles towards the back of the hob when cooking so they are not knocked off.
- Check that all burners are turned off when you finish. Don't test electric hotplates with your hands.
- Don't use wet cloths to pick up hot pots or lids - the water acts as a highly efficient conductor, making the cloth very hot very quickly.
- Don't hang tea towels or oven gloves on oven handles, and keep them away from the hob.
- Be careful when pulling out oven racks with hot dishes on them. Some racks tilt as they slide out, and can tip the dishes towards you or into the back of the oven. Take the dish right out and deal with it on top of the stove or counter.
- Plates and other china can get extremely hot in a microwave - always use oven gloves to take them out.
- Children should always be supervised in the kitchen.
- It's easy to get distracted and leave pans to boil dry. Get into the habit of setting a kitchen timer if you're leaving the kitchen. Be particularly careful when using a chip pan, and never leave frying food unattended.
- Keep kettles, coffee-makers, and toasters towards the back of worktops.
- Ensure flexes don't hang off worktops or trail across the hob. Choose coiled flexes when buying new.
- Switch off and unplug the kettle before filling it.
- If a slice of toast is stuck in the toaster, switch off the appliance at the wall before trying to prise the toast out.
- Wipe spills off the floor immediately, making sure the area is completely dry. Spills that contain oil or grease may have to be washed several times with soapy detergent before they lose their slipperiness.
- Keep knives sharp so that they are easy to use without undue force. Store them in a block, or use blade guards if kept in a drawer. Never leave knives or other sharp objects lying disguised in a sink of soapy water. If you use a dishwasher, store knives point down in the machine. Food-processor blades should be treated with the same caution.
- Wash the insides of glasses, jars, and bottles with a brush or bottle-washer - don't put your hands inside in case the glass breaks.
