As Thanksgiving approaches, we start makings plans with family and friends to gather together, roast a turkey and enjoy a relaxing day of food, football and friendship. While preparing for a fun day, we often overlook one of the most important aspects of the day: safety.
Glober Law Firm, Jacksonville-based personal injury attorneys, share five tips to stay safe this Thanksgiving day:
- Travel Safely: In 2014, AAA Travel predicted 46.3 million Americans would travel more than 50 miles away from home. Nearly 90 percent of those travelers went by car. For 2015 road trippers, Glober Law Firm reminds people to drive carefully. Carry an emergency road kit in your car, fill up on gas and never text or drink and drive.
- Watch Food While Cooking: Hot stoves and ovens can be extremely dangerous, especially with children and pets running around the house. Always monitor your turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing while cooking and keep oven mitts and dish towels away from stoves. The National Fire Protection Association also reminds us to test smoke alarms regularly to ensure they are working.
- Understand Food Safety: Proper food preparation is vital to having a happy and safe Thanksgiving Day. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends thawing turkeys in the refrigerator, microwave or cold water. Between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, bacteria can grow quickly, so the United States Department of Agriculture recommends understanding how to safety thaw a turkey. The CDC also reminds people to thoroughly clean hands, countertops, dishes and utensils when preparing turkey as bacteria from raw poultry spreads easily. While cooking temperatures may vary, use a meat thermometer to ensure a turkey reaches 165 Fahrenheit during cooking.
- Be Careful with Knives: The stress of the holidays sometime affects us more than we realize. While quickly chopping an onion or some celery to make a perfectly seasoned stuffing, remember to use your knives safely. The National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI – also known as the Institute of Child Nutrition) at the University of Mississippi recommends concentrating while using knives and avoiding conversation. The NFSMI also reminds us to only use sharp knives as dull knives require more pressure and cause more injuries.
- Keep an Eye on the Kids: With all the activity surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday, children can easily slip outside to play. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, playground injuries result in more than 200,000 children 14 and younger being injured each year. The organization goes on to report that 147 children died from injuries on the playground between 1990 and 2000. Ensure an adult is always monitoring children as they play in an effort to keep them safe.
Glober Law Firm is a Jacksonville personal injury law firm representing auto accident victims, bicycle accident victims, dog bite and attack victims, head and spinal cord injury victims, motorcycle accident victims, negligent hiring victims, negligent security victims, pedestrian accident victims, physical assault victims, premises liability victims, slip and fall accident victims and wrongful death victims.
