TURKEY CARVING SAFETY TIPS

Every year, people severely cut their hand while carving a turkey. Luckily, these injuries are avoidable. Common sense knife technique combined with well establish Turkey carving tips will help to avoid problems.
Follow these tips to stay safe while enjoying your Thanksgiving  turkey feast: 

• Never cut toward yourself. Your free hand should be placed opposite the side you are carving toward. Don’t place your hand underneath the blade to catch the slice of meat. Even better use a large fork or similar utensil to hold the bird in place while you cut.

• Keep your knife handles and cutting area dry to avoid slips. Keep a dish towel handy to wipe off your utensils and soak up any juices. Good lighting around the cutting area is also important. 

• Keep all cutting utensils sharp. Having a sharp knife will avoid the need to use a lot of force when cutting, which can be dangerous. Dull knives are more likely to cause slips and are still sharp enough to cause an injury. 

• Let the turkey cool a bit first. Letting the Turkey rest helps retain juices and avoids burns.

• Cut legs and wings at the joints but if you have to cut bone use kitchen shears instead of a knife

• Remove the legs and wishbone first and serve the leg whole or cut the meat off by slicing parallel to the bone. This lets you stabilize the turkey leg better and makes knife use easier

• Cut the breast meat away from the bone in one piece. Slice the breast meat when it is off the bird. Not only is it easier, safer, and less awkward, you'll  get better results. 

WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL HELP

If you cut your finger or hand, bleeding from minor cuts will often stop by applying direct pressure to the wound with a clean cloth.
Visit the emergency room if you’ve cut yourself and:

• Continuous pressure does not stop the bleeding after 15 minutes

• You are unsure of your tetanus immunization status

• You are unable to thoroughly cleanse the wound by rinsing with a mild soap and plenty of clean water

Visit a hand surgeon within a few days if you’ve cut yourself and:

• You notice persistent numbness or tingling in the fingertip

• You have difficulty moving or bending your fingers 

© portions by 2016 American Society for Surgery of the Hand modified by www.handctr.com

Download the turkey carving safety infographic from ASSH.

See more regarding Turkey Carving Techniques for a better bird