How to Prevent Injuries When Carving a Turkey
When autumn comes around, there are quite a few things to look forward to. You and your family will likely enjoy the crisp feel in the air, turning leaves, football season, and, of course, Thanksgiving. This holiday comes along with yams, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and that delicious turkey on its way to the table. The fall and winter seasons come with quite a few chances of hand injuries from falling while ice skating to losing your footing on a ladder. However, one of the greatest risks to you, and this may be a surprise, could come from turkey carving.
Obviously, the last thing you want to do is end up cutting your hand while trying to carve the turkey since that would effectively ruin your holiday for you and the family. Studies show that turkey, ham, and roast carving injuries can occur several times while carving the meat itself and during cleanup. So, how can you protect yourself and ensure that you and your family enjoy a festive and blood-free Thanksgiving meal? There are a few things you can do to practice safe turkey carving.
The Preparation
There are a few things you should do when preparing for the turkey carving. They include:
- Ensuring all knife handles are dry and clean.
- Keeping all cutting utensils sharp. A dull knife means you have to exert more pressure to carve and a simple slip could result in a serious injury.
- Ensuring all cutting surfaces are dry so that your turkey or meat doesnt slip around.
These are the first steps toward ensuring your safety during turkey carving.
The Next Steps
When you begin carving your turkey, never cut towards yourself. The blade should be traveling away from you at all times for safety. Thats because if the blade is moving toward you and you slip, then you could cut yourself very badly. Additionally, do not do that old habit of placing your free hand below the knife so that you can catch the meat slices. Instead, allow the slices to fall to the plate. If you put your hand there, a simple slip could mean a carved hand.
If you want to be extra safe, then consider using an electric carving knife. This means you will not have to put nearly as much pressure on the knife and risk a slip. Always use kitchen shears if you need to cut through bone or joints.
The Clean Up
Do not just toss knives in the sink. Someone could inadvertently cut themselves when cleaning up. The best thing to do is keep all knives separate and in a conspicuous place. That way, whoever, will be doing the dishes will not cut themselves as they reach into the dishwater.
If You Get Hurt
If you do sustain an injury while carving the turkey, it is a good idea to assess the wounds immediately. Minor cuts can be cared for at home. You just need to apply pressure to the wound after cleaning it properly. The bleeding should stop in just a few minutes. Then, you can apply a first aid ointment and cover the wound.
There are some cases when you will need to see a doctor or hand surgeon by going to the emergency room:
- If the bleeding doesnt stop after 15 minutes of applying pressure or does not slow down drastically, then you will need to go the emergency room.
- If you notice that your fingers or parts of your hands become numb or tingle for no reason, then contact a doctor.
- If you are not able to properly clean and cleanse the wound, you will need to visit an emergency room to avoid an infection.
- If you dont know whether or not you have had a tetanus shot, you will need to visit a doctor to avoid contracting this painful illness.
The holiday season is a time to spend with family and enjoy fantastic meals. If you want a special Thanksgiving dinner, then that likely means carving a turkey, which could be dangerous if you dont take the proper precautions. Be sure to follow the advice here so that you can avoid cuts and other carving injuries. That way, you, your family and friends will simply be able to enjoy the fun events of the Thanksgiving season without injury or trips to the hospital.
