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A risk assessment of kitchen hazards by home insurance experts Zurich has put the Sunday roast at the top of the list of the riskiest meals to prepare, ahead of Chicken Tikka Masala and the Full English Breakfast.
© Muharrem Kartal | Dreamstime Stock Photos
Zurich’s modern risk assessors ranked UK culinary favourites as part of its 2013 audit of risk in the kitchen – which is where more than half of accidental fires in the home are started.
Britain’s top five riskiest dishes:
- Sunday Roast – Risk rating: 73/100
- Chicken Tikka Masala – Risk rating: 54/100
- Full English Breakfast – Risk rating: 39/100
- Fish & Chips – Risk rating: 38/100
- Bangers & Mash – /Risk rating 36/100
Britain’s least risky dishes:
- Beans on toast – Risk rating: 02/100
- Boiled egg & soldiers – Risk rating: 11/100
The elements that put the Sunday Roast top of the ranking include the risk involved with simultaneously cooking a variety of ingredients, the number of knives needed for peeling and chopping, the potential for pans to boil over and the severity of burns which could be caused by hot oil, spitting fat or heat from the oven.
Shelina Permalloo, Winner of Masterchef 2012, adds: “Given the number of elements and crucial timing involved in cooking a Sunday roast dinner, it’s not surprising it’s the riskiest to prepare. It’s important to give yourself plenty of time – running around like a headless chicken will undoubtedly lead to an accident.
“Make sure you have all the preparation, such as peeling and chopping, done before you start on the cooking – trying to do everything at once is tricky to manage. Don’t be distracted as pans on the hob can easily boil over and roast potatoes in oil can get dangerously hot.
“Preparation in advance will also allow you to relax and enjoy your Sunday roast with your fiends and family.”
Phil Ost, Zurich Home Insurance Expert said: “The modern kitchen is a feast of gadgets and gizmos which can easily become a recipe for disaster.
“Celebrity chefs such as Heston Blumenthal and TV programmes like Masterchef have inspired many of us to get experimenting in the kitchen, with the likes of blow torches, deep fat fryers and mandolin slicers now common place.”
“However, our 2013 risk assessment shows that it’s the more you have going on at once when cooking which is likely to result in an accident – with the greatest danger being a fire.”
“So it’s not surprising that the Sunday roast dinner – often described as being like a ‘military operation’ – tops the list of Britain’s riskiest dishes.”
To calculate the risk of the individual cooking processes, Zurich’s contemporary risk team broke down each component action required to prepare and cook the dishes, estimating the consequence and frequencies of events and plotting them against the event consequence.
A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles the holder to the same state-funded medical care as a national of the EU country they are visiting.
Travellers with a valid card may receive free medical assistance, or at least, reduce the level of upfront costs that they have to claim back later.
Even if they do have to pay upfront, showing the card can minimise bureaucracy saving time and hassle when trying to claim money back on return to the UK.
However, it should NOT be used as an alternative to travel insurance!
- The EHIC is only accepted at state-funded hospitals. If urgent assistance is required and only private facilities are available, the EHIC will be of no value.
- The card does not always cover all necessary state-funded treatment.
- The standard of state run medical care varies considerably from country to country.
- EHIC does not cover the cost of Mountain Rescue or Repatriation which can run into tens of thousands of pounds.
- It does not cover medical care in non-EU countries.
If you take out travel insurance please check your policy as many now stipulate that you must have an EHIC card. Failing to do so could invalidate your policy.
The EHIC is a useful tool, it’s only about medical cover, it’s not a replacement for travel insurance, which will generally cover you for other problems including cancellation, delay, repatriation, baggage loss and theft.
If you’re going away, get both!
Driffield broker A1 Insurance Services Ltd has increased its footprint in the market with the acquisition of Harrogate’s John Matthews and Co.
The deal, worth £50,000, takes the headcount to seven, with A1 Insurance Services forecasting a turnover of £1.5m by the end of the financial year.
A1 managing director Ian Darnbrook said: We knew John Matthews wanted new owners who could offer their clients the same levels of personal service – and that’s always been at the core of our own business. In the current climate, people want to know any money they invest is safe and we see our job to make sure any premium paid is a sound investment.
Established in 1983, A1 Insurance Services offers a broad range of policies, with over 180 options in the household sector and 250 in private cars. The majority of accounts acquired from John Matthews and Co are in personal insurance.
He added: Acquiring John Matthews and Co is a significant move for us but we’re not targeting aggressive expansion. We would certainly hope for more growth in 2013 – but it’s more likely to be organic.
Mr Darnbrook will share day-to-day management duties with A1’s commercial insurance advisor Alan Beardmore.
Mr Beardmore said: One thing we would like to say to our new clients is that we do like to talk. We’d urge anyone who hasn’t reviewed their insurance needs for a while to give us a call and we’d be happy to walk them through their options. It’s a fast-changing world and insurance is no different so it might be worth another look at those policies to see if they’re still the right ones for you.
Don’t forget to purchase your GAP Insurance!
If you are looking to purchase a new vehicle then your dealer will most likely offer you GAP insurance. However GAP insurance sold via a insurance broker is much cheaper and only attracts an Insurance Premium Tax rate of 6% versus 20% for a dealer sold alternative!
This example is based on Purchase Price Protection GAP Insurance. In the event of a total loss occurring, Purchase Price Protection GAP Insurance will pay the difference between the motor insurers total loss settlement and the net invoice price your customer paid for the vehicle, up to the maximum benefit shown in the policy schedule. Subject to policy terms and conditions. Benefits available up to £25,000.
For more information contact ian@a1insurance.co.uk tel 01377 318255
Dear Ian
In the course of this last year I have renewed both personal and professional insurance policies and in each case I asked A1 Insurance Services to look at my cover and premiums. I normally hesitate to seek out finding alternative quotes as it often involves lengthy application forms and phone calls and potentially wastes a great deal of my valuable time.
Dealing with A1 Insurance Services was a different story and I have to congratulate you and your team on how well you dealt with my enquiries, quietly and efficiently, ensuring that I was aware of alternative covers available to me and you were not afraid to advise me to stay with a particular provider on one occasion. In short, you gave me great confidence in what you were about and delivered a completely professional service.
I have no hesitation in recommending A1 Insurance Services to friends, colleagues and importantly my clients – and have already done so.
Yours sincerely
John Davison – Business Coach
A1 Insurance Testimonial
Dear Ian
Ian Darnbrook and his team have provided an excellent solution, offering a personal and cost effective service that you don’t get from some of the larger operators in this field.
His advice has been honest and straight forward and has been in our best interests, even when it has not benefitted A1 Insurance directly.
I would not hesitate to recommend A1 Insurance.
Yours sincerely
Chris Nussey – Director
STUMPS.BIZ
Dear Ian
For many years I was a slave to the notion of cheapest is bestest. This appeared to be reinforced when I moved to Yorkshire (notions of short arms and deep pockets) but then I found BNI.
I slowly became convinced that its not the price but the value that is the most important factor in any transaction and as the time arrived for renewal of my LandRover insurance it was an easy referral to yourself for a quote. I hardly expected a beat up LandRover on business use to inspire either you or your team but within hours one of your staff, it was a while back and I don’t remember whom it was, rang me with a quote. The decision was easy as the quote was cheap, this pleased the old me, but also offered better cover than my previous insurer and this appealed to the new BNI me.
As the years have gone by I now usually have three or four policies renewed on an annual basis, I say three or four because my wife, Heather, has fully embraced the Yorkshire deep pocket code and occasionally will spend hour after hour trawling t’internet for a cheaper quote for our teenage drivers only to find some hidden downside to the initially less expensive option.
I have made a great deal of the price of Ian’s policies but have said little of the value. Having an insurer who has freely given his mobile number to me and will take calls at inconvenient times, (most accidents are at inconvenient times) who does virtually all of the paperwork for any claim and always offer a better value than his competitors, and Heather has tried them all I fully recommend Ian and his team with assurance.
Kind regards
John Hart
