Safety Initiative - November 2009

It's November, and that means Thanksgiving! This months' safety message contains information regarding the use of turkey fryers.

Turkey fryers are very dangerous. Some of the hazard scenarios include:

• House fires associated with turkey fryers leading to injuries and property damage

• Ignition of oil turkey fryers often related to oil reaching excessive temperatures or coming in contact with the open flame of the fryer.

• Splashing of hot oil causing burns.

The majority of reported incidents occurred while the oil was being heated, prior to adding the turkey. Consumers should monitor the temperature of the oil closely. If any smoke at all is noticed coming from a heating pot of oil, the burner should be turned off immediately as the oil has overheated.

Injuries can occur when frozen meats are entered into the heated oil. This can cause the oil to splash onto the user which can cause severe burns.

Lyndon Fire recommends the following safety tips for consumers who choose to fry turkeys:

• Keep fryer in FULL VIEW while burner is on

• Place fryer in an open area AWAY from all walls, fences or other structures

• Never use IN, ON, or UNDER a garage, breezeway, carport. porch or any other structure that can catch fire

• Raise and lower the food SLOWLY to reduce splatter and avoid burns

• COVER bare skin when adding or removing food

• Check the oil temperature frequently

• If a fire occurs, immediately call 911. DO NOT attempt to extinguish the fire with water

In addition to the above message regarding turkey fryers, we want to remind everyone to have their furnaces cleaned and serviced, as well as their chimneys where applicable. The two items are often over looked and always seem to pose the biggest problems during this time of year.