The National Fire Protection Association reported cooking to be the number one cause of home fires.
Smart home technology alerts you to dangers such as fires or unsupervised children and pets while you are cooking, and assists in identifying potential hazards to prevent damage and injuries.
Below, we provide four tips to keep you and your family safe in the kitchen.
1. Install Smart Kitchen Appliances
Smart technology allows you to control appliances, such as refrigerators, toasters and coffee makers, from any device. Smart appliances offer added convenience, safety and security to your kitchen.
A few benefits of installing smart kitchen appliances include:
- Alerts of any issues (e.g., an open fridge door or faulty appliance).
- Control of appliance settings, even remotely.
- Money savings from reduced energy consumption.
- Tracking of anyone who enters or exits the kitchen.
For a more connected home, consider smart plugs for regular kitchen appliances, which allow you to turn any appliance on or off from anywhere.
2. Use Visual Monitoring
Further enhance the safety of your kitchen with image sensors and video security cameras, which provide image alerts, allowing you to monitor your kitchen from anywhere at any time. Utilize visual monitoring to:
- Keep tabs on children in the kitchen.
- Monitor pets near the hot stove.
- Confirm that appliances are turned off while you are away.
3. Set Up Alarms
Smart home technology alerts you promptly of potential hazards, such as unsupervised children, sudden temperature fluctuations or house fires. Receive real-time alerts in the case of:
- A child or pet entering the kitchen.
- Appliance malfunctions.
- Triggered fire detectors.
Triggered sensors and detectors will prompt a notification sent to your phone for reliable monitoring while you are away.
4. Take Safety Precautions
Ensure the safety of your family and home by acting proactively to protect against hazards in the kitchen.
Limit the chance for fire or injury by considering these safety precautions:
- Keep flammables away from the stove. Move items such as oven mitts, plastic packaging, wooden utensils and towels away from stovetops.
- Wear tight-fitting clothing. Avoid wearing loose clothing that is more likely to ignite.
- Stay in the kitchen when frying, boiling or broiling. Watch food while it is cooking and set a timer to prevent burning or a fire.
- Turn appliances off when not in use. Unplug appliances that are not in use to prevent sparking.
Over half of all reported non-fatal cooking fire injuries occur when the victims try to put out the fire themselves. In the case of a fire, leave the premises and call emergency personnel immediately.
The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in your home and can remain safe and secure with the right technology and practices in place.
In what ways could smart home technology keep you and your family safe in the kitchen? Share in the comment section below.
Image Source: flickr
