Tip of the Week: Stove Safety

Tip of the Week: Install Knob Covers and Anti-tipping bracket on Stove. Install safety covers on knobs for ranges with controls at the front. They are accessible to small children and a hazard.

Stoves themselves can also be a tipping hazard. Did you know that all stoves have an anti-tipping device that should be installed? What is an anti-tipping device, you ask? Well, it's just what it sounds like. The device, when installed properly, keeps the range from tipping forward and spilling hot items if, for example, a toddler were to sit on the open oven door. There have even been cases of the stove itself crushing an individual, so it's not even just a matter of burns. In fact just last month I read another story about a child who was recently killed by a tipping stove: Child’s death from tipping stove leads to lawsuit. Check your oven today (and your oven drawer for the device if it's not installed). If you have a device that is not installed, install it. If you don't have one, request it from the manufacturer.

It is also important to not leave anything on the cook top that is flammable. Sounds obvious, I know, but I speak from experience. Books and other items are often left on the cook top when kid’s book bags are looked through after school. One time a book was left on the cook top and my wife put a pot on the stove. She accidentally turned on the wrong element and burned poor Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. No major fire, but Harry was no match for the stove! And that is pretty much ALWAYS the case. Fire is powerful and we need to respect what it can do.

For more on anti-tipping devices, check out: What's Wrong with This Picture: Anti-Tipping Device and watch the video below.