The four most common Thanksgiving injuries and ailments are food poisoning, knife-related lacerations and injuries, burns, and alcohol-related injuries. The following tips will help families avoid these types of injuries so they can stay out of the ER this holiday season.
Preventing Food Poisoning on Thanksgiving
Food poisoning is a fast way to ruin a fun holiday. Raw meat, especially poultry, is often a culprit. The CDC recommendation is to cook the turkey at a minimum of 325 degrees while preparing stuffing outside of the bird to prevent cross-contamination. Also, starting with a fully thawed turkey and checking the meat with a meat thermometer will help reduce the risk of food-borne illness.
Preventing Knife Injuries
Throughout the year, one out of every 10 visits to the ER is due to knife injuries. This increases on Thanksgiving when many people are cooking large meals. To protect against these injuries, families can practice safe carving tips.
First, the best plan of action is to cave turkey or ham slowly. The carver can reduce the risk of injury by using a sharpened knife and paying close attention to the work. Additionally, children should be monitored to keep them from having access to sharp knives.
Protection Against Burns
Deep-fried turkey is becoming a Thanksgiving staple in many parts of the country, especially in areas with mild winters like Las Vegas. This holiday tradition should be fun, but it actually causes a lot of fires. In fact, cooking fires are more common on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year, and more than 1,000 fires happen every Thanksgiving due to deep fryers.
To protect against the risk of a house fire, families can consider using a safer method, like roasting or smoking, to prepare turkey. Deep frying is best done outdoors to reduce the risk of a serious fire. This job should take place away from the house and only a thawed, dry turkey should be used.
Alcohol and Injuries
Finally, families can avoid alcohol-related injuries and the need for a personal injury attorney in Las Vegas by avoiding drinking and driving or other risky behaviors. Alcohol consumption is common during the holiday, and alcohol was a factor in approximately 360 holiday deaths in 2013 alone.
