Home: Safety

Deep frying is not without it's risks, which is indicated by the amount of household fires started by a chip pan. In the year nineteen ninety nine, the UK government released figures which showed that four thousand and six hundred people were injured whilst deep frying in the previous year.

If you are concerned about your own safety whilst deep frying, then you should take into consideration the following,

1. In 1999, over half of the injuries recorded were suffered by people over the drink drive limit.

2. Men were twice as likely as women to be injured, worst probably due in part to the above cause.

3. A stand alone deep fat fryer is generally safer to use than a chip pan. Most modern deep fat fryers will not heat oil beyond it's smoking point and some will cut out if they detect the oil has over heated. Whereas, on the other hand, chip pans usually have no safety features and it can be hard to gage if the oil has over heated.

4. Deep fat frying is usually conducted around 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. The smoking point of oil is around 400 - 450 degrees Fahrenheit and the fire point around 500 degrees Fahrenheit. As you can see, the temperature range is quite close together. And, that's why a stand alone deep fat fryer which only heats up to a safety limit of 375 degrees Fahrenheit is so useful.

5. Fire departments often advise people to keep a fire extinguisher in their kitchen, incase a small fire happens to break out.

6. A chip pan or deep fat fryer should only be filled 1/3 with oil. Once the food in put into it, the oil level will rise, and will spill over if the oil was 3/4 filled up.

7. Take care with your clothing. Any loose fitting tops may accidentally fall in the oil when you placing food in and out of the basket.

8. Make sure there are no items near the chip pan or deep fat fryer which can easily catch fire.

9. Water and oil do not mix. Water poured on heated oil will cause a fire explosion. Therefore ensure all food is dry before placing it in the oil and that it does not have any residue of water on it.

10. Never leave a deep fat fryer or chip pan unattended. Both pose a serious fire risk.

12. The minute you see the oil smoking, turn the power off, if it is safe to do so.

11. Ensure you have a clear escape route incase of a serious fire.