As you get ready to prepare this year's Thanksgiving feast, here are two important Thanksgiving safety tips that might not be on your list:
Sharpen your kitchen knives!
This is important because a knife blade is significantly more dangerous when it's dull. That's because a dull knife requires more pressure and could potentially cause a slip and a cut finger or worse. That makes a knife sharpener a valuable kitchen safety item. And since there's likely to be more activity in your kitchen now then at most other times of the year, this a good time to remind everyone that a falling knife has no handle. Don't ever try to catch it! But If someone does get a cut in the kitchen, the first step is to wash it with warm water and mild soap or an antibacterial solution. Before you put on a band aid, apply pressure to the wound for a minute or two until the bleeding stops. "If the bleeding persists for more than a few minutes, or if you sense that the wound is deeper than normal, come see us right away," said Dr. Dan Heinen, IEP Emergency Physician. "Based on the severity of the injury, there are a number of ways we can treat the wound so that it heals properly."
Keep a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen!
Every kitchen should have a working fire extinguisher nearby. We keep ours under the kitchen sink. Before you get started preparing your holiday meal. make sure the fire extinguisher is in working order and you know how to use it! If you don't have a fire extinguisher in your home, this is a good time to stop at your neighborhood hardware store and pick one up.
Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving from all of us at IEP Urgent Care!