2020 has been an interesting year to say the least. As the year comes to a close, holiday season is quickly approaching. Thanksgiving celebrations will have to be much smaller than normal this year to meet covid-19 safety guidelines, but that doesn’t mean that injuries are less likely. Follow these tips to reduce the risk of injury in your home this thanksgiving and make the most out of the holiday!

Fire Safety

Did you know that thanksgiving is the worst day each year for home cooking fires? Fires happen frequently on thanksgiving for multiple reasons. By far the most common cause of cooking fires is food being left unattended while it cooks. It may be tempting to go to the other room and relax while food cooks in the kitchen, but it’s never safe to leave food unattended while it cooks. Try to limit the number of people in the kitchen to ensure you don’t get distracted and forget about something you’re cooking. Thanksgiving is a great time to test your smoke alarms too! Press the “test” button to ensure your smoke alarms are in good working order before you begin preparing your thanksgiving feast.

Preventing Cuts and Lacerations

Cuts and lacerations are another common injury on thanksgiving. This isn’t surprising considering the number of sharp tools that are using while preparing food. Lower the risk of cuts and lacerations by only letting adults use sharp objects. Children should never handle a knife or scissors. While using these sharp tools, cut away from your body and always work on a dry surface. Curl your fingers away from the knife while cutting to reduce the risk of accidently slicing yourself. If you’ll be working with an electric knife, take your time and continue to follow the other safety tips we’ve discussed.

Treating Injuries on Thanksgiving

Ideally, your thanksgiving festivities will be 100% injury free, but that isn’t always the case. If someone suffers a non-emergent injury, take them to a nearby urgent care center for quick and effective care. They can get the care that they need and still be back home in time for the turkey dinner! Don’t forget to turn off your oven and stove before rushing out to urgent care though!

Read up on food safety for cooking, storing, and serving on thanksgiving to avoid an unpleasant case of food poisoning too!