When it comes to designing a new Kitchen for your home, it might seem pretty cut and dry - but it isn’t. There’s no other room in your house where you work with high temperatures, sharp objects, water and chemicals at the same time. In fact, the kitchen is packed full of safety hazards that you probably don’t give a second thought to most of the time. However, when renovating, it’s important to think about everyone in your home, especially if you have kids. So, let’s take a look at some Kitchen Safety Upgrades to make sure everyone is as safe as possible.

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Install adequate lighting

All of the hazards (and more) mentioned above are difficult to avoid, and that’s why it’s important to make sure you’ve got enough lighting to properly see what you are doing. Low visibility is one of the biggest causes of kitchen injuries. The lighting in your kitchen needs to give you a clear and bright view of your kitchen counter, stove, and any other surfaces where you use hazardous objects. When you’ve got proper kitchen lighting, you can avoid any mishaps and notice spills before they become a bigger problem.

Design the floor plan with safety in mind

The way you design your kitchen should depend on the room in question. You’ll need to assess high traffic areas where your family may pass through, and where your stove and other dangerous equipment should be situated. Where possible, put the stove and other hazards in a low traffic area of your kitchen. You should also consider adding electric motors to your stove to help power a ventilation fan. This will reduce the heat on your stove handles and extract any cooking vapours from your oven. Safety isn’t just about your family - it’s about you too.

Prevent slips and falls

Some of the most common accidents in the kitchen come down to slips and falls. When you’re cooking with oil, fats and water, there’s a good chance some of it will end up on the floor. When this happens, you and your family are at risk of slipping and seriously hurting yourself.

The type of floor finish you decide to use will make a world of difference. Matte-finished wood and laminate are great examples of flooring to consider in the kitchen because they are easy to clean and maintain.

While anti-slip mats can be a good option for the kitchen, if you’re tired after a long day at work, a mat is a tripping hazard, which is another big no no.

Think about your storage options

Finally, you probably have plenty of equipment that’s very dangerous in your kitchen such as knives, toastie machines and electric whisks. Thinking about how to store these items is a must when designing a new kitchen. Make sure they’re high, difficult to reach for young hands and securely in the cupboard to avoid any accidents. If you’re worried about your children getting into these cupboards regardless, choose some child safety prevention methods for your kitchen.