Fryer Safety Tips to Keep in Mind This Thanksgiving!
Well, it’s that time of year again when we fire up the ovens to prepare the annual Thanksgiving feast. However, Thanksgiving may look a whole lot different this year, with fewer guests and less table settings. If you still find yourself cooking that traditional Thanksgiving turkey, please be aware that the turkey day holiday is the leading day for home fires involving cooking equipment, with three times the average number. Preparing your bird in a turkey fryer is especially dangerous and requires extra care and caution. To help you and your family enjoy a Thanksgiving Turkey without going up in smoke, here are eight fryer safety tips:
- Before you start – place your fryer on a level spot away from your home, garage or any other structure. It’s also a good idea to keep your fryer off the deck and away from trees. Once you found a level spot, don’t move the fryer.
- Always use a completely thawed, dry bird. Never use a partially thawed turkey as it will cause the oil to splatter which could cause serious burns.
- Never use your fryer in the snow or rain as the oil may splatter or turn to steam from the moisture reacting with the oil, leading to severe burns.
- Choose a smaller turkey for frying. An 8 to 10lb bird is best; pass on turkeys over 12lbs as this is reaching the capacity limit of most turkey fryers.
- Don’t overfill you fryer with oil.
- Heat the oil slowly and continuously monitor the temperature. Don’t heat the oil beyond its smoke point as it could catch fire.
- Never leave your fryer unattended as flair-ups can occur at any time.
- Invest in an all-purpose, dry-powder fire extinguisher and keep it close by when frying, in case something goes wrong. Never use water on a grease fire.
We at Security Specialists Want You and Your Family to Have a Happy, Healthy and Safe Thanksgiving!
