Any parent whose child has had an accident knows how it takes just one second of looking away for disaster to strike.
This was the driving force behind Stove Safe Australia, a product born off the back of Wallacia couple Alfredo and Amy-Louise Losi’s experiences.
“With four children under five we tried to child-proof the house as best as we could but the one thing we struggled to find was a decent stove guard,” Mrs Losi said.
“I had a dream that one of children spilt boiling water over themselves, I had a cousin that did it with a cup of tea as a toddler, so we just wanted to prevent anything happening.”
Stove Safe Australia is a guard-like barrier around the stove top which prevents children from touching hot surfaces or pulling pots and pans on top of themselves.
By using heat sink technology, the stainless steel guard only warms slightly.
Emu Plains resident Kimberley Forbes said having a three-year-old son with Autism Spectrum Disorder makes cooking on her island bench stove top a difficult task.
When she became aware of the Stove Safe product, she thought it was a fantastic idea.
“He’s now big enough at three to reach over. I usually have to wait to cook anything until another adult can ensure he does not come close and I never cook with hot oil or boiling water due to the risk,” she said.
“It’s hard enough keeping kids safe in the kitchen, let alone kids on the spectrum.”
Through many years of trial and error, Mr Losi said he has now perfected the design and launched the product to the public just last week.
Stove Safe comes in all sizes and is available for all freestanding ovens as well as built in cooktops.
Nicola Barton
A graduate of Western Sydney University, Nicola Barton is a news journalist with the Western Weekender, primarily covering crime and politics.