Thanksgiving has come and gone, but many people still celebrate with family and friends through the holiday weekend. We want to get you through the holiday uninjured, so we thought we’d throw together a list of the top five Thanksgiving injuries along with tips to prevent them. Enjoy!
1. Burns – Cooking a turkey to perfection is no easy task, but oftentimes it’s not the bird itself that causes burn injuries. If there are too many cooks in the kitchen, a person may accidentally bump you causing your arm to hit an open over or causing the door to close on you. Also, whether you’re deep frying the turkey or working the baster, the liquid and oil will be hot. Always wear protective gear when removing your bird from the oven or deep fryer.
2. Cuts – You’ll probably have more than a few knifes on the kitchen counter while your prep the meal and carve the big bird, but always make sure you cut away from your body and hands. Also, keep dangerous objects out of reach of little ones.
3. Falls – If you’re like a lot of Americans, you use the extended weekend to hang up Christmas decorations. Hanging decorations outside can be extremely dangerous, especially since there’s already snow on the ground and on roofs. Always make sure you have someone to hold the ladder while you’re up hanging lights, otherwise you might fall off and suffer a heel bruise!
4. Black Friday Boo Boos – Maybe you like to ring in the holiday with your family by going out in search of Black Friday deals. Every year we hear horror stories of people getting trampled just because they wanted to be the first person in the door to save $10 on a crockpot. If you’re going out on Black Friday, try to avoid the most popular destinations and don’t get caught up in the mob mentality.
5. Football injuries – Most family thanksgiving football games don’t get too intense, but with snow already on the ground all it takes is one misstep to twist or sprain your ankle. Also, be sure to stick to two-hand touch. Nobody wants to drive Uncle Bob to the hospital because your cousin tackled him from behind!