Thanksgiving is a natural favorite for a November safety article. Holiday safety issues, like many safety issues involve a Who, What, Where and Why analysis. Who will be coming to your house? What are the special needs of your guests? What preparations are necessary to accommodate these special needs? Why is this accommodation important?
General Thanksgiving Safety Considerations
- If you are driving to your destination: Traffic accidents statistics show that New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day have the highest rate of traffic accidents.
- Make sure your car is winter-ready. Allow for extra time to reach your destination. Plan your travels to adjust the timeline for delays and to take advantage of daylight. Make sure the driver is well And as we all know, do not drive if you have been drinking or taken medications that cause drowsiness.
- If you are the host/homeowner: Ensure a safe entrance to your home. Check steps and railings and fix if wobbly or Entry paths should be well lit. Entry paths should not be cluttered. This may seem obvious, however many falls in the elderly population involve tripping on objects on the floor or steps, particularly if the lighting is dim.
- Floors: Tripping and falling is a dangerous event for older guests. Falls can result in fractured bones including dreaded hip fractures. Floors should be free of clutter. The spills should be cleaned up right away. Rugs should be non -skid to prevent slipping and falling. Electrical cords should be placed out of the way. Adequate lighting is essential for fall prevention.
THE MEAL: Cooking your turkey
Thanksgiving has been described as America’s biggest food holiday. Did you know Turkey has been identified as the major culprit for illnesses contracted from the Thanksgiving meal preparation? Multiple government agencies (CDC, USDA) have sites that address how to prepare turkey safely and avoid turkey borne illnesses. Below is a summary of how to prepare your turkey from the USDA:
- Wash your hands BEFORE, DURING and AFTER all food preparation. Hand washing should be done with soap and water before, during and after food preparation. To prevent raw turkey borne illness each step must be followed
- Raw turkey and turkey juices are a contaminant to any surface it touches. These surfaces are going to be used after the raw turkey has been removed from the counter, in order to prepare other foods placed on the counter to be prepared. Kitchen counters, stoves, sinks and tabletops. If turkey is in contact with any surface, germs are destroyed by soap and water but not completely. Sanitizers remove the germs left behind after using soap and water. Sanitizer wipes, or any sanitizer product can be purchased. Homemade sanitizers can be made by adding a tablespoon of liquid bleach to a gallon of water.
- Avoid Cross contamination by never using the same cutting board used for raw turkey for any other food The USDA recommends using a cutting board for raw meat and turkey and a separate cutting board for ready to eat foods such as fruits and vegetables.
- Do not defrost the turkey on the kitchen counter. Room temperature thawing occurs unevenly. The outer part of the turkey will defrost at room temperature before the The bacteria in the outer part therefore will multiply and can cause disease.
- Turkey must be cooked at 325 degrees or higher and the inside temperature must reach 165 F to be ready to eat. Note: Pop up thermometers may be accurate –BUT- they check the temperature internally in one spot only. The recommendation is to check that the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees in three spots: Innermost part of the wing, the thickest part of the breast, and the innermost part of the part of
- About the stuffing: Do not stuff the turkey until you are ready to cook it, to prevent bacterial Keep the wet and dry ingredients for the stuffing separate, until the turkey is about to be go into the oven. Turkey stuffing should be loosely packed. Adding stuffing to the turkey will take 50% more time to cook.
- Leftovers are safe in the refrigerator in small shallow containers for 4 days and freezer safe for 2-4 months.
Finally, a word about pets: Many foods that humans love are toxic to pets. Here is the ASPCA website with a list of these foods:
General Kitchen Safety
Kitchen activity is often hectic, which makes it especially important to follow fire prevention safety measures to avoid injury and death. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking fires are the leading cause of reported home fires, home fire injuries, and home fire deaths. This sobering fact highlights the need for extra caution and awareness when working in the kitchen.
As with most safety recommendations there needs to be a designated adult in charge of paying attention. An adult should be in the kitchen any time cooking and food prep is occurring (this is similar to the adult watching the swimmers in the water at the beach or staying with the campfire until all embers are extinguished). Even in the absence of guests, when anything is cooking in the oven, an adult needs to be at home and checking the oven often.
Many kitchen safety recommendations involve children and pets. The preferred recommendation is that children and pets are not allowed in the kitchen environment without direct supervision.
Turkey Fryers
Turkey fryers are a hot topic! The culinary world has extolled the delights of turkey fried in oil. The agencies that devote themselves to safety, however, have issued strong warnings about turkey fryer risk based on the volume of reported fires, injury, death and property damage cause by explosions and these fires. This Video from the NFPA demonstrates the intensity of the fire. This chart from FEMA explains how to properly use a turkey fryer.
Your Fire District wishes all our readers a safe and joyous holiday season!
