Burn injuries to children in the United States which require medical attention are in the hundreds of thousands each year based on some recent burn statistics of children between 1-17 years old. A substantial number of these injuries are frequently related to scalds from spilled food such as, for example, when a child pulls a pot off of a stovetop.
To prevent such injuries, some stovetop safety devices are available which are designed to retain, cover, or prevent access to the cooking vessels on the stovetop. One example of a stovetop safety device includes a stove pot retainer having a retaining member contacting the sides of a cooking vessel to support the vessel in unstable conditions. In another example, the stovetop safety device may include lateral securing elements which are fixed onto the stove by means of suction cups, the lateral securing elements holding the pot or pan in place, making accidents less likely. In yet another example, the stovetop safety device may include a burner grate flame deflector having a plate-like member and a downwardly extending protective skirt for preventing flames or heat from heating a pot handle.
These stovetop safety devices may provide some protection for adult users but may generally lack the necessary failsafe mechanisms that specifically protect children from stovetop related burn injuries. Therefore, there is a need for a stovetop safety device that is specifically configured to prevent tipping or pulling a cookware vessel off of the stovetop, thereby decreasing the risk of burn injuries or death to small children.