Thanksgiving Safety

Most of these injuries are preventable with a little planning. Here are the most common ones and what to do about each.

Kitchen Fires and Burns

Unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires. On Thanksgiving, with every burner and the oven running at once, it only takes a few minutes of distraction.

• Stay in the kitchen while anything is on the stovetop. If you have to step away, turn the burner off.
• Keep a lid nearby. If a pan catches fire, slide the lid over it and turn off the heat. Never pour water on a grease fire.
• Keep towels, oven mitts and paper away from burners.
• Turn pot handles inward so no one bumps them, especially kids.
• Set up a kid free zone of about three feet around the stove and oven.
• Test your smoke alarms before the holiday, and know where your fire extinguisher is.

Turkey Fryers

A deep fried turkey is delicious, and a fryer holds gallons of oil heated well past the point where it can burn skin or catch fire. Most fryer fires start when oil overflows onto the flame.

• Fry outside only, on a flat surface, well away from the house, the garage, decks and trees. Never on a wood deck or under an eave.
• Fully thaw and dry the turkey. Ice and water in a frozen bird make hot oil boil over.
• Measure the oil first. Put the turkey in the empty pot, fill with water to cover it, then remove the turkey and mark the level. That is how much oil to use.
• Turn the burner off before lowering the turkey in, then relight it.
• Never leave the fryer alone, and keep kids and pets well back.
• Keep an extinguisher rated for grease fires close by. Never use water.

Knife Cuts

Carving the turkey, chopping vegetables and opening packaging all happen on a crowded counter, often while people talk. Cuts to the hand and fingers are among the most common holiday kitchen injuries.

• Use a sharp knife. A dull blade takes more force and slips more easily.
• Put a damp towel under your cutting board so it cannot slide.
• Cut away from your body and keep fingers curled under on the hand holding the food.
• Carve on a stable surface, not on your lap or a wobbly platter.
• Never try to catch a falling knife. Step back and let it drop.
• Keep a first aid kit in the kitchen. For a deep cut, apply firm pressure and get medical help if the bleeding does not stop.

Food Poisoning

A large bird, a long buffet and a fridge full of leftovers give bacteria plenty of chances. The USDA's guidance covers most of the risk.

• Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Plan on about one day for every 4 to 5 pounds.
• Do not wash raw turkey. Rinsing it splashes bacteria around the sink and counter.
• Cook it to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, the wing and the breast.
• Keep raw meat separate from vegetables and anything served uncooked, including cutting boards and knives.
• Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of serving.

Holiday Travel

Thanksgiving weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Crowded roads, long drives, early darkness and late nights all add up.

• Plan for mountain weather. If you are crossing Snoqualmie Pass, check WSDOT pass conditions before you leave and carry chains when required.
• Leave early and take breaks. Drowsy driving is a real risk on a long drive home after a big meal.
• Plan a sober ride. The night before Thanksgiving is known for heavy drinking. Choose a designated driver or use a rideshare.
• Buckle up and put the phone away, every trip, even the short ones across town.

Ladder Falls on Decorating Weekend

For many families, the long weekend is when the lights go up. Falls from ladders and roofs are the most common decorating injury, and late November in the Northwest means wet rungs, slick roofs and short daylight.

Our GlowWorks crews follow the same rules on every house, and they work just as well at home:

• Never work alone. Someone stays at the base of the ladder the whole time you are up.
• Set the ladder on firm, level ground and keep three points of contact while you climb.
• Stay off wet or frosty roofs. If it rained last night, wait.
• Clean the gutters first. Clips set in a clogged gutter sit in water, and a cleaning gives you a clear edge to work from.
• Know when to call a pro. A steep or two story roof calls for a harness and training.

Spend the Weekend with Your Family, Not on the Roof

If you would rather skip the ladder this year, GlowWorks, the lighting division of WindowWorks, can handle your holiday lights from design to takedown. We hang them, keep every bulb burning through the season, take them down and store them until next year. We also clean gutters, so your roofline is ready before the lights go up.

WindowWorks has cared for homes across the Eastside and Snoqualmie Valley for more than 20 years, with a 4.9 star rating from 300+ Google reviews.

From all of us at WindowWorks, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.