Summer has passed and the Halloween candy is long gone. That can only mean one thing: the holiday season is officially here. As you make your plans for all of the wonderful days spent with family and friends in the next few months, don’t forget to take a few minutes to keep your loved ones safe by identifying possible issues before they arise, safeguarding your family from any threats, and providing alerts in case an issue occurs.
Cooking Safety
Since 2002, there have been more than 157 turkeys fryer-related fire, burn, explosion or carbon monoxide poisoning incidents reported to the consumer product safety commission. The number one propane related issue around the holiday season is deep fryer accidents when preparing a Thanksgiving turkey. To avoid this hazard, keep in mind these following tips:
- Never fry a frozen turkey
- Don’t overfill the pot
- Turn the flame off when lowering the turkey into the oil
- Use your deep fryer a safe distance away from your house or any other structure
- Do not fry a turkey without a proper fire extinguisher close by
To completely eliminate the issues related to traditional deep fryers, check out the Charbroil Oil-less Turkey Fryer, a propane powered turkey-sized oven that will cook your bird in a fraction of the time of a traditional oven, with none of the hazards associated with a deep fryer.
Heating Safety
When Thanksgiving passes, and the temperatures begin to drop, continue to practice propane safety while keeping your family warm. If you’re trying to turn up the heat indoors, remember, most propane heaters are not designed for indoor use. If such a heater is used indoors, carbon monoxide poisoning may result due to a build-up of this odorless gas. Heaters such as the Portable Buddy Heater and the BIG Buddy Indoor Safe Propane Heater have been designed to automatically shut off if they are accidentally tipped over or sense a low amount of oxygen the area they are operating in. These heaters should only be used for shorts periods of time, in an emergency.
Safeguards
When using any propane-powered items, make sure to build in safeguards to ensure your kids, pets, and entire family stays safe during the holidays. Outdoor heaters, grills, fryers, and fire pits are often top heavy and have hot lids and handles that could spell trouble. Keep a constant eye on these items to make sure kids and pets don’t get too close. Cinderblocks and chairs placed around the perimeter of hot items create quick and easy barriers to keep your loved ones from accidentally roaming into an unsafe area.
Alarms
As a final layer of protection to keep your family safe during the holidays, make sure to check your smoke alarms and install carbon monoxide detectors in your home. According to the NFPA, approximately 95 percent of US homes have at least one smoke alarm; however, only about 42 percent have a carbon monoxide detector. The threat of odorless carbon monoxide can be detected by a simple alarm that will warn you to get your family to a safe location.
Keep your family full, safe and warm this holiday season by following these propane safety tips and enjoy the 2016 New Year celebration, and many more to come.
