And just like that, the holidays are coming up, but are you ready for all the fun and celebration you’re about to have? Are you physically fit to do the various holiday activities that are in store? Why are we asking all these questions? We just want to help you avoid things that could ruin your holidays, such as a severe hand injury.
Because you’ll be in the kitchen a lot this year, and you’ll need to prep and cook food, you might not be able to protect your hands properly from injuries without following hand safety tips.
Since hand injuries are unavoidable, and you can get them in any season, hand doctors recommend that you follow safety measures to avoid serious accidents. If you’re curious about hand safety, you’ve come to the right place. Below is our handy holiday hand safety guide to help you prevent any injuries this season. Let’s begin!
Focus on all your tasks
We often use our hands throughout the day; this is why they are prone to injuries and accidents. Though some holiday hand injuries happen when you carve turkeys, hams, and roasts, other hand injuries can occur when you’re doing mundane tasks like washing your dishes and knives.
When you wash dishes and utensils, it can get too soapy and slippery, putting you at risk of getting into an accident. You can accidentally slice your hand and sustain serious tendon and nerve injuries quickly if you’re not careful. But again, injuries like these are avoidable, as long as you focus on your task and handle things carefully.
Practice proper knife etiquette
One of the most important things you need to remember when cutting with a knife is never cutting yourself. One mistake and slip of the blade can cause a terrible injury.
Whatever task you’re doing involving a knife, whether it be carving a turkey or cutting cheese, your free hand should always be on the opposite side of where you’re carving toward and that you’re cutting in a well-lit room. Placing your hand underneath the blade to catch a slice is incredibly dangerous; you might end up slicing yourself too!
Manage meal preparations like a professional
Different types of knives are required for different types of meal prepping tasks. You won’t see a chef in the kitchen handling other meal prep and cutting ingredients with only one knife. And with that, you should use different kitchen knives and shears to tackle different cutting jobs.
Besides using various types of knives, ensure that their handles are dry. Working with a wet grip will put you at risk for injuries since it may slip, resulting in deep and nasty cuts.
Additionally, ensure that your cutting tools are sharp. Dull utensils will cause more injuries than sharp ones because they’re much harder to handle and to penetrate through ingredients, which could ultimately be more dangerous to take.
What should I do when there’s an accident?
If you happen to sustain hand injuries while prepping or cleaning, don’t panic. Some hand injuries, like bleeding from minor cuts, can be stopped by applying direct pressure on the wound.
However, some accidents may need assistance directly from a hand doctor. Here’s when you need to visit a specialist:
- Bleeding won’t stop after 15 minutes, even if applied with continuous pressure
- You’re experiencing numbness and tingling in the fingertip
- You’re not sure if you’ve had an anti-tetanus shot
- You didn’t clean the wound thoroughly
Conclusion
Now that you know our handy holiday hand safety tips, it’s best to always practice proper hand safety and etiquette, and not only during the holiday season. If you sustain any type of injury that may seem alarming, you should immediately go to your hand doctor to get a proper diagnosis and treatment. The holidays are a thrilling time, so make sure you don’t ruin your vibe by getting a hand injury!
If you’re looking for a hand doctor, check out Hand & Wrist Center. Our state-of-the-art surgical facility is led by Dr. Richard D. Curtis and Dr. Jose Baez, and they work alongside a dedicated team of practitioners whose goal is to ease any hand and wrist discomfort. Book an appointment with us!
