A Recipe for Kitchen Safety

With Thanksgiving Day 2020 upon us, many are planning to spend a lot of time in the kitchen over the next couple of days. If that is your plan, the Grand River Dam Authority wants to make sure you stay safe, so that your holiday can be enjoyable and memorable. With that in mind, this is an appropriate time to pass along a few “ingredients for safe cooking” from the Electric Safety Foundation International (esfi.org).

 Any kitchen needs proper, working smoke alarms. In fact, they should be installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection, smoke alarms should be interconnected so that they all sound if one sounds. Check your smoke alarms before you start cooking.

 Prevent fires by making sure your oven and stovetop are clean and free of grease and dust. You should also clean the exhaust hood and duct over the store regularly (if you have not done that lately, pre-Thanksgiving would be a great time). Finally, make sure to vacuum the refrigerator coils every three months to prevent potentially dangerous dust build up.

 The truth is, it’s easy to forget about something that is cooking, especially during holiday celebrations. So, use a kitchen timer to make sure your Thanksgiving dish does not become a fire hazard.

 Finally, enjoy the day. Being proactive about kitchen and electrical safety can give you peace of mind and allow you to get the most from your holiday celebration.

 All your friends at GRDA wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!

 GRDA is Oklahoma’s largest public power utility; fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales instead of taxes. Each day, GRDA strives to be an “Oklahoma agency of excellence” by focusing on the 5 E’s: electricity, economic development, environmental stewardship, employees and efficiency.