National Chip Week 15-21 February 2010

Safelincs would like to help National Chip Week be a safe and enjoyable week for all chip lovers.

Chip pans can easily cause a fire with devastating effects. The oil gets very hot and can over heat causing it to combust and start a fire. If pans are left unattended the risk of this happening rises. Many people panic and throw water over the pan to put the fire out. The water and oil react with each other in such a way that burning oil can spill over the side of the pan and ignite other sources outside of the chip pan causing the fire to spread rapidly.

If you are enjoying chips, which celebrate 150 years this year, by cooking them yourself at home make sure that you are fully prepared and follow our simple safety tips to keep you, your family and your home safe during National Chip Week.

How to deal with a chip pan fire

If your chip pan were to ignite place a fire blanket over it or if you do not have a fire blanket place a damp cloth over the pan.

• Turn off the heat and leave the chip pan to cool. DO NOT TAKE IT OUTSIDE! This could cause the fire to flare up again when it comes into contact with the air
• Ensure you have a fire blanket in the kitchen and/or a suitable fire extinguisher
• Ensure you have a heat alarm installed in the kitchen to alert you to a fire

Safety tips:

• Never leave your chip pan unattended whilst cooking or let yourself be distracted.
• Always ensure that you know how to deal with a chip pan fire.
• Check your smoke/heat alarm is working on a regular basis.
• Make sure that you do not put wet chips into a pan full of very hot oil.

Safelincs can provide you with all your fire safety needs. Follow the links below if you are interested in any of the following products.

• Heat Alarms: Suitable for use in the kitchen, they react to heat not smoke so help to eliviate false alarms
• Fire Blankets: Constructed from fire resisting material and are designed to smoother fires
• Extinguishers for the kitchen:

Specialist fire extinguishers which contain Chemicals which create a smoothering action over the flames and burning oil

Add a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.