Fire safety - Cooking

Fire caused by cooking is the most serious risk to all students living in accommodation. Over the years a number of serious and a substantial number of minor fires have been caused by students cooking.

The University therefore gives the following advice to all students in accommodation:

1. You should not leave cooking unattended. Fires have been caused by oil in chip pans catching fire due to overheating when the pans have been left unattended. Similarly fires have been caused by fat catching fire when left under grills.
2. Grill pans and cookers must be cleaned and kept free from fat and food debris. Grease and fat residues have caused fires due to overheating particularly when cookers have been left switched on inadvertently and unattended.
3. Read instructions on pre-packed food. Food wrappings which should have been removed before cooking have been ignited causing fires in cookers.

If a fire should occur the fire blanket in the flat may be carefully laid over the fire, which will control it until expert assistance can be summoned. The fire alarm should always be sounded and the building evacuated. Never remove the fire blanket unless instructed to do so.

Obviously very minor fires caused by burnt toast, sausages, etc will not warrant sounding the alarm, however, a report must be made to the Information Desk to allow the cookers to be checked for electrical safety before they are put back into use.

Students in accommodation must ensure that the kitchen and shower doors remains closed to avoid activating the detectors. The detectors fitted in the kitchens and students rooms are activated by heat and not smoke. Aerosol sprays should not be used near detector heads.