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Monday 9th to Sunday 15th
February has been designated National Chip Week, celebrating
a national favourite food, one which is especially popular in the
current cold weather.
When cooking with extremely hot oil,
fire safety specialists, Newflame, urge that people need to be aware
of the specific fire risks associated with using chip pans and deep
fat fryers.
Remember also that the risk of
accidents happening is greater when alcohol has been consumed. |
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In Cambridgeshire last year, three per cent of home fires were
caused by chip pans ands deep fat fryers. Injuries caused by this
type of fire are much more likely to leave victims with severe burns
or cause fatalities.
Steve Best, Managing Director of
Newflame cautions: "Chip
pan fires cause severe injuries. The combination of water and oil
can be lethal. Even a small cup of water on a chip pan fire will
cause a dangerous explosion of hot oil and the fire will spread
right across the room."
General home fire safety
precautions should always be followed, such as ensuring smoke alarms
and fire extinguishers are fitted and tested. Alternative ways to
enjoy chips safely include microwaving, using oven chips or buying a
portion from the local fish and chip shop. If you insist on using a
chip pan, follow the guidelines listed below:
Some fire safety tips:
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Dry the chips before putting
them in the pan
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Don’t overfill a chip pan with
fat or oil – never more than one third full
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Never leave the chip pan on heat
unattended, even for a few seconds
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Drape a Fire Blanket (or a well
wrung out tea towel) over the burning pan to fight the fire,
switch off power, call the fire brigade and evacuate the
building
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Never throw water on a chip pan
fire
Fire safety specialists, Newflame,
has many customers who run fish and chip shops and as fire safety
trainers, they are very aware of the ever present dangers of fire
when cooking with hot fat and oil.
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