Critical safety ruleKitchen fire safety
Never leave cooking unattended
Stay in the kitchen while the stove is on; turn it off before you leave.
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Kitchen and Food Safety
Build clear habits for supervising heat, hot oil and surfaces, pan handles, knives, and food handling.
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Lessons in this collection
Critical safety ruleFood safety
Separate raw food from cooked and ready-to-eat food
Use separate chopping boards and knives; keep cooked or ready-to-eat food above sealed raw meat in the fridge.
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Critical safety ruleBurn and scald prevention
Keep hot pots and soup away from children
Turn pot handles inward, keep hot food away from table edges, and never carry a child while holding hot food.
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Critical safety ruleSharp object safety
Put knives away immediately after use
Store knives in a secure knife block, sheath, or safe place with the blade protected and out of children's reach.
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Critical safety ruleGas safety
Handle a suspected gas leak without sparks
Do not operate switches, appliances, phones, or doorbells; move away before calling for help.
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High-priority reminderBurn and scald prevention
Position pan handles safely while cooking
Turn pot and pan handles inward or toward the wall, away from the cooker edge, people, and other hot burners.
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High-priority reminderKitchen fire safety
Keep cloths, paper, and flammable items away from the stove
Before turning on the stove, remove cloths, kitchen paper, packaging, plastic bags, and aerosol cans from the cooking area.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Wash hands before food preparation
Wash with water and liquid soap for at least 20 seconds before food and after handling raw food.
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High-priority reminderGas safety
Cool and clean a gas burner after a boil-over
Switch off after a boil-over, let the cooker cool fully, and clean only as instructed; stop use and tell the employer if the flame is abnormal.
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High-priority reminderBurn and scald prevention
Keep water away from very hot oil
Dry food, utensils, and the cooker area before frying, and never pour water into very hot or burning oil.
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High-priority reminderKitchen fire safety
Ventilate while using a gas cooker
Start suitable ventilation before cooking and keep fresh air flowing without blowing directly on the flame.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Cook food to at least 75°C at the centre
Use a food thermometer to confirm at least 75°C in the thickest centre.
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High-priority reminderGas safety
Avoid oversized cookware on a gas burner
Choose cookware that suits the burner instructions and does not reflect excessive heat onto controls, tubing, or nearby items.
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Standard safety ruleSharp object safety
Step back—never catch a falling knife
If a knife slips, let it fall, step back, warn people nearby, and pick it up only after it has stopped moving.
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High-priority reminderKitchen fire safety
Check gas tubing for damage and expiry
Inspect flexible gas tubing for cracks, ageing, loose joints, and its printed service-life date.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Keep the fridge at 4°C or below and freezer at −18°C or below
Use a thermometer to confirm the fridge is at or below 4°C and freezer at or below −18°C.
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High-priority reminderBurn and scald prevention
Keep appliance cords away from table edges
Place kettles and heated appliances securely at the back of the counter and keep their cords where children cannot pull them.
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High-priority reminderChild safety
Do not carry a child while cooking
Before using a flame, hot oil, or hot pan, ask another adult to supervise the child or place the child safely away from the cooking area.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Refrigerate perishables within two hours
Note the time and refrigerate cooked or purchased perishable food within two hours.
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High-priority reminderElectrical safety
Unplug a blender before handling its blades
Switch off and unplug, wait for the blades to stop, then fit, remove, or clean them as instructed.
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Standard safety ruleGas safety
Centre a frying pan over a suitable gas burner
Use a burner suited to the frying pan, keep the pan near the centre and stable, and turn the handle to a safe position.
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Standard safety ruleBurn and scald prevention
Let ovens and air fryers cool before touching or cleaning
After use, switch off and unplug, then let the body, basket, tray, and interior cool as instructed before cleaning or storage.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Never thaw food at room temperature or in hot water
Thaw in the refrigerator; approved running-water or microwave methods require immediate cooking.
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High-priority reminderGas safety
Do not fit non-original energy-saving rings to gas cookers
Do not add an energy-saving ring, flame concentrator, or accessory not supplied or approved by the original cooker manufacturer.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Reheat leftovers thoroughly and no more than once
Take only the needed portion, reheat the centre to at least 75°C, and do not reheat refrigerated leftovers more than once.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Clean utensils and worktops after raw food
After raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs, clean utensils and worktops thoroughly with hot water and detergent, then sanitise where appropriate.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Use the two-hour/four-hour rule
Count cumulative time at 4–60°C: under two hours, eat or refrigerate; two to four hours, eat immediately; over four hours, discard.
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Standard safety ruleFood safety
Cook eggs until the yolk is firm
For routine household cooking, cook eggs thoroughly until both white and yolk are firm; ask the employer about any specific meal requirement.
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Standard safety ruleFood safety
Stir and turn food during microwave heating
Where suitable, stir or turn food partway through, allow standing time, and check the centre is thoroughly hot.
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Standard safety ruleFood safety
Discard leftovers refrigerated for more than three days
Date and refrigerate leftovers properly; discard them after more than three days, and discard sooner if they were mishandled.
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High-priority reminderChild safety
Do not let a child play while eating
Have the child sit still and eat calmly with an adult nearby; do not let them run, play, or laugh with food in the mouth.
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Standard safety ruleFood safety
Cool leftovers quickly in shallow containers
Divide large amounts into small portions in shallow containers and refrigerate promptly; do not wait for a whole pot to cool fully at room temperature.
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Standard safety ruleChild safety
Use a properly installed toddler gate at the kitchen
For a child under three, fit a suitable safety gate correctly at the kitchen entrance and close it every time.
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High-priority reminderSharp object safety
Store scissors and can openers safely
After cleaning and drying, return scissors and can openers to a closed or locked place.
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High-priority reminderSharp object safety
Stabilise the cutting board before use
Place the board on a flat counter with a non-slip mat or clean damp cloth underneath.
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High-priority reminderSharp object safety
Keep knives out of washing-up water
Keep used knives visible, wash them one at a time, and store them immediately.
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High-priority reminderSharp object safety
Discard sharp can lids safely
Control the sharp lid immediately after opening, wrap it, and place it in a puncture-resistant container.
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Standard safety ruleElectrical safety
Clean fan and cooker-hood dust
Following the maker’s instructions, remove dust and grease after power is off and parts are cool.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Buy food from reliable licensed shops
Choose hygienic shops that store chilled food properly and hold the required licence.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Check food expiry dates before purchase
Read use-by or best-before labels and buy only what can be used in time.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Separate raw food in shopping bags
Wrap raw meat, poultry, and seafood separately from cooked and ready-to-eat food.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Cover or seal food in the refrigerator
Refrigerate food in covered containers or sealed bags labelled with contents and date.
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Standard safety ruleFood safety
Do not overload the refrigerator
Leave gaps for cold air to circulate and buy in smaller batches when needed.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Keep hot served food above 60°C
Keep cooked food above 60°C until serving, or cool and refrigerate it promptly.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Separate food from chemicals while shopping
Place cleaners, bleach, and pesticides in bags separate from all food.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Pick up chilled and frozen food last
Collect chilled and frozen items last, then go home and refrigerate them promptly.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Reject damaged, bulging, or rusted cans
Before buying or opening, inspect the can body, seams, ends, and seal.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Store raw food below ready-to-eat food
Seal raw meat, poultry, and seafood on the lowest shelf, with ready-to-eat food above.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Use separate utensils for raw and ready-to-eat food
Use clearly distinguishable boards, knives, and tongs for raw and ready-to-eat food.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Wash hands after raw meat before ready-to-eat food
After raw meat, poultry, or seafood, wash with soap before touching cooked food, fruit, or utensils.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Wash fruit and vegetables under running water
Rinse fruit and vegetables under running water before eating or cutting; never use detergent.
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High-priority reminderChemical safety
Store household chemicals away from food
Lock cleaners, bleach, pesticides, and other chemicals together away from all food.
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Critical safety ruleGas safety
Never let children operate gas cookers alone
Only a safety-competent adult should operate a gas cooker; keep children away from controls.
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High-priority reminderGas safety
Use only genuine gas-appliance parts
For burners, pan supports, tubing, or other parts, use maker-specified components and a qualified technician.
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High-priority reminderGas safety
Do not cover a gas hob with tinfoil
Keep burners, air inlets, and ventilation as designed; never cover the hob with foil.
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Critical safety ruleBurn and scald prevention
Cool burns under running water
Move away from the heat source and cool a burn or scald promptly under gently running water.
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Critical safety ruleElectrical safety
Unplug the toaster before clearing a jam
Switch off and unplug a toaster, let it cool, and use the maker's safe method before removing stuck food.
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Critical safety ruleElectrical safety
Keep metal out of the microwave
Use only containers confirmed suitable for microwave cooking and remove metal utensils, foil, and metal-trimmed items.
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Critical safety ruleBurn and scald prevention
Depressurise a pressure cooker before opening
After cooking, release pressure only as the manual directs and confirm pressure is fully gone before opening the lid.
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High-priority reminderBurn and scald prevention
Point rice-cooker steam away from people
Place the rice cooker steadily so its steam vent points away from faces, hands, walkways, and children.
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High-priority reminderBurn and scald prevention
Use dry oven mitts for hot cookware
Use clean, dry, heat-resistant mitts that fully cover the hands when moving hot trays, pots, or dishes.
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High-priority reminderBurn and scald prevention
Open hot pot lids away from the face
Stand back and lift the far edge of a hot lid first so steam escapes away from the face and hands.
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High-priority reminderSharp object safety
Cut away from the body
Use a stable work surface and direct the blade away from the hands, body, and anyone nearby.
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High-priority reminderSharp object safety
Use the mandoline hand guard
Fit the food holder or hand guard and follow the product instructions whenever using a mandoline slicer.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Bring soups and stews to a full boil
When cooking or reheating soup or stew, bring the whole pot to a full boil for at least one minute.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Marinate food in the refrigerator
Keep meat, poultry, seafood, and other perishable food covered in the refrigerator throughout marinating.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Use a clean plate for cooked meat
Move cooked meat to a fresh plate with clean tongs or chopsticks; never return it to the raw-meat plate.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Discard cracked eggs and clean spills
Seal and discard cracked eggs, then clean and disinfect every surface touched by the spill.
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Critical safety ruleFood safety
Prevent household allergen cross-contact
For a family member with a food allergy, check labels and separate ingredients, equipment, and cooking oil.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Keep chilled food cold in transit
Collect chilled food last, carry it in an insulated bag with cold packs, and refrigerate it as soon as you arrive home.
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High-priority reminderChemical safety
Separate toilet and kitchen cleaning cloths
Colour-code or label toilet and kitchen cloths, and wash, dry, and store the two sets separately.
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Critical safety ruleChild safety
Cut round foods lengthwise for children
For a young child, remove hard parts and cut grapes, cherry tomatoes, and sausages lengthwise into quarters or smaller pieces.
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Critical safety ruleChild safety
Never microwave baby bottles
Warm a baby bottle with the agreed warmer or warm-water method, mix the milk, and test it on the inner wrist; never microwave it.
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Critical safety ruleFood safety
Serve only the prescribed food texture
Prepare soft, minced, pureed, or thickened items exactly as specified by the healthcare, dietetic, or speech team.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Keep the fridge closed during a power outage
Note when the outage starts and keep refrigerator and freezer doors shut to preserve cold temperatures.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Boil kidney beans before slow cooking
Soak them, discard the water, then boil thoroughly in fresh water before slow cooking. Use already cooked canned beans if the preparation is unfamiliar.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Reject green or sprouted potatoes
Reject potatoes that are green or sprouting instead of relying on trimming or cooking. Keep sound potatoes in a cool dry place away from sunlight.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Stop eating unusually bitter gourds
Stop eating a normally mild gourd if it tastes unusually bitter. Discard the affected dish; do not keep tasting or try to mask the taste.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Never cook foraged wild mushrooms
Do not cook or eat foraged wild mushrooms even if they look familiar. If eaten, keep a photo and details for medical staff without delaying care.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Do not eat raw or excessive ginkgo nuts
Do not serve raw ginkgo or allow large amounts of cooked ginkgo. If illness follows, record how much was eaten and seek medical advice.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Prepare cassava and bamboo shoots properly
Peel, cut, soak and cook thoroughly as directed for that ingredient. Discard the preparation water and never taste raw pieces.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Refrigerate fungus during long soaking
Keep soaking brief; use the refrigerator when a longer soak is needed. Discard fungus soaked too long or showing slime or an unusual smell; boiling is not a rescue.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Do not scrape mould off spoiled food
Discard unintentionally mouldy food; removing the visible patch does not remove all contamination. Do not taste it; bag it for disposal and clean the affected storage area.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Never taste raw flour dough
Keep raw flour and dough out of everyone's mouth and cook the recipe properly. Wash hands and clean utensils and surfaces that touched raw flour.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
No honey for infants under one
Give no honey to a baby under one year, including honey added to food or drinks. Tell every carer not to put honey on a dummy or in a bottle.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Choose pasteurised dairy for vulnerable people
Choose suitably pasteurised dairy and read the product label before serving. Keep unpasteurised or unidentified dairy off that person's menu.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Frozen vegetables may need cooking
Cook frozen vegetables as directed unless the label clearly identifies them as ready to eat. Do not substitute thawing or rinsing for the required cooking step.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Refrigerate UHT milk after opening
Refrigerate opened UHT milk and use it within the label's after-opening limit. Mark the opening time so the next carer can check it.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Never eat fish gall bladders
Never serve fish gall bladders as food or a home remedy. If swallowed, seek medical care promptly and report the fish type and time.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Avoid high-risk parts of coral reef fish
Avoid high-risk parts such as the head, organs, skin and roe. If diners become ill, keep fish details and seek medical care promptly.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Wine and vinegar do not sanitise raw seafood
Do not use wine, vinegar or wasabi as a substitute for proper cooking. Explain the risk before serving a household recipe that calls for raw seafood.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Stop preparing food when vomiting or diarrhoeal
Stop preparing food and arrange for another person to take over. Seek medical advice and follow health guidance before returning to food handling.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Protect hand wounds before food handling
Cover suitable minor wounds securely with a waterproof dressing. Stop direct food handling and seek advice if the wound is infected or cannot be covered safely.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Use a clean scoop for edible ice
Use the scoop for edible ice and keep its handle away from the ice. If glass breaks into the ice, discard the affected ice instead of picking out visible pieces.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Keep drinking ice separate from bottle-cooling ice
Keep edible ice separate from ice used to chill bottles or cans. Discard used cooling ice; keep drinking ice covered and reserved for food use.
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High-priority reminderKitchen fire safety
Microwave-safe wrap is not grill-safe
Use wrap only in the modes and conditions allowed by its label. Remove wrap for grill use and choose cookware approved for that mode.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Check takeaway containers before heating
Transfer food to a container approved for that cooking method when suitability is unclear. Do not treat holding hot food as proof that a box is safe for cooking.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Do not revive degraded frying oil with fresh oil
Stop using degraded oil instead of mixing in new oil. Turn off the heat, let it cool safely and follow the household's waste-oil disposal arrangement.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Avoid uncooked cold-smoked fish for vulnerable people
Do not serve uncooked cold-smoked fish to vulnerable people; choose thoroughly cooked fish instead. Refrigeration and a ready-to-eat label are not proof of safety; agree on a cooked alternative with the employer.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Stop using and separate recalled food
Stop using affected food and separate it so nobody takes it by mistake. Tell the household and follow the official or supplier's return instructions.
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High-priority reminderElectrical safety
Keep metal utensils off induction hobs
Keep the hob for suitable cookware and put utensils on a separate surface. Switch off after cooking and do not use the hob as storage.
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High-priority reminderSlip and fall prevention
Fix wall cabinets to suitable structure
Stop using the cabinet and keep people out of the area beneath it. Arrange professional inspection of the wall, anchors and load; do not attempt an improvised repair.
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High-priority reminderElectrical safety
Do not microwave uncooked eggs
Do not directly microwave uncooked eggs; use a suitable alternative cooking method. Keep people back if an egg bursts and deal with burns promptly.
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High-priority reminderElectrical safety
Microwaved water can be superheated
Avoid overheating water and allow the instructed standing time before handling. Keep your face away and do not abruptly add a spoon or powder to very hot water.
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High-priority reminderElectrical safety
Do not overfill an electric kettle
Keep water at or below the marked maximum level. Remove excess water before switching on and boil separate batches if needed.
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High-priority reminderElectrical safety
Lock blender attachments before starting
Confirm each required attachment is correctly locked before starting. Stop if a part will not lock; never bypass an interlock or hold a loose assembly together.
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High-priority reminderGas safety
Align cassette gas cartridges correctly
Install the cartridge exactly in the position shown in the appliance instructions. Stop if it does not fit or is damaged; do not force or modify it.
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High-priority reminderGas safety
Do not operate cassette cookers side by side
Do not operate cassette cookers side by side or under one shared pan. Arrange separate safe positions that follow the manufacturers' instructions.
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High-priority reminderGas safety
Change gas cartridges away from ignition sources
Change cartridges only in a ventilated place away from flames and heat. Stop if gas leaks and follow the household gas-leak response without creating sparks.
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High-priority reminderGas safety
Stop after repeated gas ignition failure
Stop using an appliance with repeated ignition failure and report it. Arrange a registered gas contractor; if gas is smelled, follow the gas-leak procedure.
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High-priority reminderGas safety
Never use charcoal for indoor hotpot
Never burn charcoal inside a home or other enclosed area. If headache or dizziness occurs near combustion, leave for fresh air and seek emergency help.
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High-priority reminderPoison prevention
Keep chocolate and grapes away from dogs
Do not give chocolate, grapes or raisins to dogs as treats. Contact a vet promptly after suspected ingestion rather than waiting for symptoms.
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High-priority reminderFood safety
Keep reptiles and their tanks out of kitchens
Keep reptiles and their tanks out of the kitchen and never wash tanks in the food sink. Wash hands with soap after touching the animal, equipment or tank water.
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