Wesley Chapel Injury Lawyer :: Kitchen & Cooking Safety Tips for the Thanksgiving Holiday

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, it is that time again to prepare for a safe and happy holiday. Thanksgiving can bring along many health and safety hazards, including fires and food poisoning. The following safety tips can help you and your loved ones enjoy an injury-free holiday this year.

Tips for Safely Executing Your Feast

Make sure your holiday meal goes off without a hitch by taking a few moments to look over these precautions:

• Keep Your Work Surface Clean. Wash all of your kitchen surfaces, utensils, the sink and your hands after handling raw meats. It can be a good idea to use multiple cutting boards, so that you have a designated area for raw foods and another area for other uses.
• Thaw Your Bird Properly. According to the USDA, the best way to thaw a frozen turkey is to keep it in its original packaging and place it in the refrigerator on a tray that can catch any of the juices that may leak.
• Don’t Stuff the Turkey. The USDA says that stuffing a turkey while it’s cooking is not the safest. For the most even cooking, cook the stuffing outside of the turkey in a casserole dish until an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit is reached.
• Call the USDA for Help. If you have any questions regarding how to cook your bird, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Call the pros at the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline by dialing 1-888-674-6854.
• Give the Stove a Break. While you probably have multiple dishes to prepare, keep in mind that trying to cook everything all at once could cause grease to spill off the sides onto the range top and start a fire. With that said, don’t overload your cook top with numerous pots and pans.
• Avoid a Deep Fried Disaster. Turkey fryers are remotely dangerous and can cause fires and deliver devastating burn injuries. Because of this, avoid using a turkey fryer this Thanksgiving. If your family decides they must fry the bird this year, be very careful and make sure not to overfill the fryer or leave it unattended.
• Never Try to Put Out a Grease Fire with Water. Pouring water on a grease fire can actually cause the flames to spread. If a fire occurs on your stove, quickly turn off the burner, put on an oven mitt and smother the flames by placing a lid on the pan. Leave the lid on until the pan has cooled.
• Don’t Place Glass Cookware on the Stove. When glass gets too hot, it can explode which will send shards of glass all over your kitchen making it a danger zone. Keep your glass casserole dishes and lids away from stove tops and burners.
• Keep Children Out of the Kitchen while Cooking. Holding a child while cooking can only lead to disaster. Avoid a trip to the emergency room for a catastrophic burn injury, by making sure all children steer clear of the kitchen entirely while you cook.

Remember, if you or someone you love is injured this Thanksgiving due to the negligence of another person, a Pasco County Personal Injury Attorney at Whittel & Melton can help. Your case may be worth more than you think and we can help you seek financial compensation for medical bills and other expenses related to your injury. Even during the holidays, we are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We can even come to your home, place of work or hospital room if you are unable to make it in to our office. Contact us online or call us at 727-847-2299 to discuss your case free of charge.

The Pasco County Injury Attorneys at Whittel & Melton wish you and your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!