Most holiday kitchen accidents happen because of inattention. I learned this the hard way last year while working on Thanksgiving dinner the day before “Turkey Day”.
I had been fortunate in my years (notice I didn’t say how many years) to have avoided a serious kitchen accident where I ended up in the emergency room. Let’s face it, time is precious and I didn’t have time to spend hours in the ER the day I needed to work on a big holiday meal. Well it happened anyways and there was nothing I could do about it.
Why did I have an accident that sent me to the hospital? I wasn’t paying attention while dicing celery and cut the tip of my finger off. What was I distracted by you may be wondering? I was looking at the television – Gone With the Wind was playing. I couldn’t believe it happened. Fortunately I remained calm. I knew immediately something bad happened, then the blood started to flow. I grabbed a towel wrapped my finger up and took off for the doctor’s office. That’s right, the doctor’s office. I was hoping my doctor would be in but no such luck. I ended up taking myself to the emergency room anyways. UGH!
Of course it took forever at the hospital. The entire time I’m there, I’m thinking about how I must get back home to finish all the work I needed to do for Thanksgiving dinner. Well after shots in the wound, cleaning and putting a protective cover over the area I cut off, I ended up with a club finger.
The two most important things to consider with knife cuts are depth and what part of the hand was injured. Dr. Renk explains that because the hand is such a complex structure, its important to be aware of where youve cut yourself and how deep because you may have punctured a tendon or an important muscle. Cuts on the tips of fingers and tops of knuckles will not cause too much serious damage, whereas anything to the palm or finger could be detrimental to your hand movement and have long term effects. – Source: The Daily Meal
Even the most experienced cooks have accidents, just try to stay focused so you can avoid accidents.
Tips:
- Clean up Spills Immediately – forgotten spills are fall hazards
- Use Sharpened Knives – dull knives are actually more dangerous than sharp ones
- Keep Cutting Boards Stable – if needed place a damp paper towel or hand towel to prevent slipping around the counter
- Burning Yourself – it happens occasionally but always be on alert when cooking. Use pot holders, turn off burners and ovens immediately upon finishing
- If you have children in the kitchen while cooking, keep an eye on them at all times to avoid accidents
Other Links:
Consumer Reports Scariest Kitchen Accidents
Cooking Safety Tips for the Holidays