Ramadan

The holy month of Ramadan begins on the evening of Sunday 10 March and finish on Tuesday 9 April.

This involves Muslims fasting in daylight hours and not eating or drinking for potentially up to 16 hours per day.

During Ramadan it is common to have one meal just before sunrise and another directly after sunset.

This means that cooking often takes place before and after sunrise, so kitchen safety is really important.

By taking just a few simple precautions you can greatly reduce the risks for yourself and your family. 

Kitchen safety advice for the Muslim community

As you prepare a substantial meal prior to sunrise, at this early hour in the morning, it could be very easy for a fire to start.  To avoid a fire, please follow these safety tips:

• Take extra care when cooking with oil, as it easily sets alight.

• If deep fat frying, only one third of a pan is filled with oil prior to frying food

• If a pan or wok is smoking excessively, turn off the heat

• Never throw water on a burning pan, cover with a damp tea-towel and turn off the heat

• Be very careful with clothing, ie make sure head scarves etc do not come into contact with a naked light

• Do not leave cooking unattended

Ensure you have a working smoke alarm on every floor of your home - test them weekly to make sure they work.

We realise how important Ramadan is to the Muslim community and hope this advice will help to keep you safe during this very important occasion.