I have just had a beautiful new kitchen fitted and we had a wall knocked down to create a larger kitchen/family room.
I have a gate to stop the kiddies form entering the kitchen.

1st question: do i need to put cupboard locks on my brand new kitchen doors...?? Please say NO :panic: Or will Mrs O be ok with the gate??

2nd question: Fire blanket..does it NEED to be hung on the wall near the hob or can it be hung in the utility room which is an arms reach away from the cooker.
I REALLY dont want a bright red fire blanket hung in the middle of the wall :angry:

Love my job but sometimes I get really frustrated with it taking over my house so much. :crying:
Becky x

I do sympathise I had a lovely new kitchen last summer. I have large drawers under the counter tops, 12 of them and the only cupboards are the on under the sink and the big corner one with the water softener in it. I don't want clips etc either.

My room is a big open kitchen dinining room which is the width of the house and opens via French Doors onto the patio. I have double doors from the dining room into the playroom and there is no way for me to gate off the kitchen.

In my Risk Assessment I have stated that the children will not be allowed in the kitchen unsupervised and they are taught not to open drawers unless they are invited to as part of an activity.

I don't keep any cleaning products in the cupboard under the sink. Washing up liquid is on the surface behind the taps and the surface is 700mm deep, deeper than normal, so out of the reach of even the 2 seven year olds I have and I would trust them to use that sensibily anyway. Everything is kept higher cupboards in the Utility Room which is completely seperate from the kitchen and I am thinking about putting a little lock on the top of the door.

I no longer have a kettle, we were lucky enough to be able to invest in a Quooker Hot Tap which is fitted behind one of the sinks, there is a 3 litre tank in the cupboard underneath and it provides boiling water on tap so no traling wires or leaky kettles!

Now that pesky Fire Blanket! I have to say I am looking at mine now standing on the surface behind the hob :blush: We are waiting to have a glass splashback fitted behind the hob under the extractor fans so there is no way the blanket will go there. My oven is in its own unit the opposite end of the sink unit to the hob so I am thinking of putting it on the side of the housing that is out of sight!

I think if you really can reach yours quickly if needed then put it on the wall in the Utility. To be honest if you are cooking keeping the lid of the pan you are using next to the hob to hand is as useful as a blanket. If there is a flare up pop the lid on and turn the power off and leave it alone until it is cold.. In a way if you can't do that because it is too large, forget the blanket, get the children and yourself to safety and call the Experts, the Fire Brigade. :thumbsup:

my fire blanket is in the kitchen but more than an arms reach from the cooker - that is the only bit of wall available :rolleyes:

I have a lock on my under sink cupboard - need to go through the kitchen to go to downstairs loo, so thought I had better.

If you RA and can say how you will keep mindees away from cleaning stuff (if that is what is in your cupboards? or alcohol? etc) maybe use a high cupboard for it or in utility high up? then maybe no locks will be needed.

someone else may have other ideas ?

PHEW....i thought there is no way I am drilling holes into my new kitchen doors to attach locks :( Plus they are a right pain...always get snapped off by my own two kids.

All the cupboards have no dangers in them...only plates, cups ,saucepans, kitchen roll etc.
All my cleaning stuff like bleach etc is in high cupboard in utility room so unless you are 5ft you cant reach..no chairs or anything to climb up on.
The children arent allowed in the kitchen as there is no need to go into there anyway. All the things we need when cooking are passed over onto dining table. The oven is visable from the table so kids can watch me put things in.

As for the blanket :censored: useless thing anyway...lol
I will put it up on wall in utility as there is no wall space anyway unless im going to start drilling into my tiles which is a NO!

I have everything risk assessed so im happy now
Thanks :thumbsup:
Becky x

I only have a cupboard catch that fits over the knobs of the cupboard doors, and only on the kitchen sink unit!!! The Fire Blanket is fixed inside my pantry. To be honest I don't really do any cooking till mindees have gone home anyway as everyone has to go through my kitchen to get in and out of "playroom" (as I have a table against the other door) and I make a mess when I am cooking :laughing: :laughing: