Cooking can be a wonderful experience - if you follow some basic safety rules. Burns and cuts can take the fun out of cooking and cause cooking to become a painful experience. But if you learn how to handle knives properly and what to do to prevent burns, you will have many pleasurable times either alone or creating memories with your family while creating delicious meals.
Knives
Here are some tips for the proper handling of knives:
Keep knives sharp - If you keep your knife sharp, the knife will easily slide through whatever you are cutting. If your knife is dull, you will need to use force to cut - if you slip just a little, the force you are using to slide the knife will make the knife glance off of whatever is in it path and, in most cases, cut whatever is in its path.
Stay alert - Always be aware of what you are doing and what is around you. Don't get careless or become distracted while using a knife.
Cut away from yourself - Never pull a knife towards yourself. If you are cutting toward yourself and slip, the knife will come straight for you. If you are cutting away from yourself and slip, the knife will head the other way.
Use a cutting board - Never hold food that you are cutting in your hand. Should you slip, or cut with too much force, the knife will cut your hand. A cutting board allows you to cut safely without endangering your hands or fingers.
Storing knives - Knives should never be stored loose in drawers. Not only does this cause the knife to loose its sharp edge, but also can be a cutting hazard for anyone reaching into the drawer.
Use the correct knife for the job.
Never leave knives in the dishwater or in the dishwasher. Wash knives as quickly as possible and store in the proper place.
Never try to catch a falling knife.
When walking with a knife, you should hold the knife with the side pressed loosely against your thigh.
When handing a knife to someone else, hold the flat part of the blade and turn the handle toward the other person.
Don't place your guiding hand on the knife blade for extra leverage.
Tips for Preventing Burns:
Keep kitchen towels, oven mitts, and hot pads within easy reach.
Avoid using a damp towel when holding a hot pot or pan.
Be careful around steam - before looking into a hot pot, open the lid and let the steam subside.
When placing foods that have a high water content into frying oil, the water may cause the oil to splatter - always place food into the oil slowly and step back to avoid being burned.
Always keep pot and pan handles turned toward the back of the stove - out of the path of people walking past.
Before moving a pot that contains hot oil, let the oil return to room temperature.
Make sure curtains, towels, potholders and other combustible material is not kept in the cooking area.
Keep a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher readily accessible.
Be sure smoke detectors are placed properly throughout your home and work properly.
