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You've heard the horror stories: children dumping boiling waterdown their chest when their curiosity got the best of them, horribleburns as a result of an explosion of hot oil or a grease fire. There's no doubt that the kitchen is a dangerous place, and ifyou're not careful accidents can happen in a second's time.

Using some of these preventative tips can really help you avoid a bad situation for yourself or your family.

For example, make sure you have a working smoke detector in yourkitchen.  It's so vital to have one in this room, andyou'd be amazed at how many people never think about it.

Also, make it a rule that the stovetop stays cleaned off.  If youstore teapots or other decorative items, these can easily become a firehazard if you accidentally turn on the wrong burner or start a greasefire.

Investing in high-quality oven mitts is a great way to reduce thelikelihood of burns.  Cheap oven mitts are, well, cheap, andwon't protect your hands from hot pots well at all.  It paysto spend more here and get a nice, thick oven mitt.  If you do getburned with a cheaper mitt, not only will you burn your hands but youmight drop what you're holding, which will probably burn and cutyour feet badly.  

Also, be careful when using glass casserole dishes and lids on thestovetop.  Even if they say "stovetop safe",they're still risky.  One small crack or overheating canmake them explode, sending shards of glass flying.  Use pots orcast iron whenever possible.

Although it sounds counter-productive, keep your knives verysharp.  You're less likely to cut yourself with a sharpknife.

As you can see, there are countless ways to get hurt in the kitchen,but by following a few simple safety tips you can really reduce thechance of injury for yourself and your family.  

Char Gietz is a freelance writer and a crock pot fanatic. She loves cooking with her Rival Crock Pot and writing about creative ways to use slow cookers. Her numerous articles offer tips and valuable insight for any busy family.