No one is thankful for fires or food poisoning. How to avoid the ER this Thanksgiving
While most prepare to settle into a food coma on Thanksgiving, nobody anticipates a real medical emergency taking place.
Accidents are bound to happen on a day where there’s a slew of distractions as you prepare for your Thanksgiving feast. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, Thanksgiving Day is the peak day for home cooking fires, with cooking equipment involved in 47 percent of reported home fires.
“It’s important to follow safety tips to protect yourself, your family and home especially if you are using a turkey fryer,” Dr. Radley Short, Emergency Medical Director with Grand Strand Medical Center, said in a news release.
Alcohol also plays a role in an accident occurring, with 27 percent of fatal fire victims drinking while cooking, Short added.
While holidays are a time for family and celebration, here are some tips from the Grand Strand Medical Center, the U.S. Fire Administration and the Palmetto Poison Center to ensure you have happy and safe Thanksgiving Day.
Are you using a turkey fryer?
- Properly thaw the turkey before frying.
- Turkey fryers can easily overheat and start a fire. Always use your fryer outside at a safe distance from buildings and any other flammable materials, but never use a fryer in your garage or on a wooden deck.
- Also keep your fryer away from small children and pets. Even a slight bump can be hazardous.
- Turkey fryers can easily tip over, spilling hot oil across a large area. Make sure the fryer stands on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.
- A partially frozen turkey will cause hot oil to splatter, as well as an overfilled cooking pot.
- The pot, lid and handles of a turkey fryer can get dangerously hot and cause burns. Wear oven mitts and keep the pot lid handy to smother any flames — don’t throw water on them.
Nobody has ever been thankful for food poisoning.
- Refrigerate or freeze perishable food within two hours of shopping or preparing.
- When thawing your turkey, allow 24 hours for each four-to-five pounds of meat. Thawing meat on the kitchen counter at room temperature is not safe, according to the Palmetto Poison Center. Also be sure to place your turkey in a leak-proof container if you’re using cold tap water for thawing. Change the water every 30 minutes until thawed.
- Never place fresh fruit, vegetables or cooked food in the same container or on the same surface that raw food has touched.
- Always wash your hands after handling raw meat.
- Lastly, refrigerate or freeze your leftovers immediately after the meal to ensure you’re equipped with plenty of meals for days to come.
