Civil Defense warns of potential kitchen accidents during Ramadan

RIYADH: The General Directorate of Civil Defense has called on citizens and residents to take maximum precautions to avoid domestic accidents during preparation of iftar and sahoor.

Housewives and household workers are urged to follow Civil Defense guidelines by not filling frying pans with oil to avoid fire hazards, and ensuring the safety of gas extensions.

The Civil Defense said it launched a website “to reach out to all people to spread different awareness messages.”

Civil Defense chief Suliman bin Abdullah Al-Amro said it has “succeeded in building effective partnerships with a large number of printed and electronic newspapers, national and international TV channels, to broadcast awareness programs about all types of risks that may threaten the safety of lives and properties.”

He added: “These programs also provide the public with the minimum requirement of skills and knowledge about how to avoid those risks and reduce the amount of damage if it happens, God forbid.”

The guidelines stipulated on the website are part of preventive education programs to avoid domestic accidents that may occur during the preparation of food.

The guidelines state that children’s safety should be the priority, and they should be kept away from machines such as dishwashers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and stoves. People working in the kitchen are advised not to wear flammable clothes.

The Civil Defense stressed the need to have fire extinguishers in all household kitchens, and to know how to use them in emergencies.