Injured while cooking - poll

[velochic]

I have some scars from various burns. I do a lot of canning (pressure and water-bath) and I've probably gotten the most burns from the simple art of cooking jam. My most injurious incident happened when cleaning up. I cut my finger to the bone on a food processor blade during clean up. That required stitches. Unfortunately, it was just days before a trip back to see family in Turkey and since I had to have the stitches removed when I was there, my stinking insurance wouldn't pay the $150 they charged me in Istanbul for the stitch removal. They (insurance) told me that I should have canceled our trip (costing us thousands from canceled airfare) if we had wanted them to pay for the stitch removal. Never a dull moment around here.

 

[zfranca]

Definitevely we should cook with clothes on, not only to prevent injuries but embarissing situations. I can't tell you how stupid I felt when the towel fell off.....

 

[licia]

I've burned and cut myself but fortunately never severely. I've been spattered by bacon and other things frying, burned and cut my fingers when I wasn't careful, burned little places on my arms taking cookies, etc from the oven. I wonder if it is possible to do a lot of cooking and never get a scar. I suppose I should have learned by now to be more careful and wear the right protective gear.

 

[Andy M.]

Definitevely we should cook with clothes on, not only to prevent injuries but embarissing situations. I can't tell you how stupid I felt when the towel fell off.....

I can imagine how you felt, but think about how much your guests enjoyed the moment!

 

[JGDean]

I was using a very flexible fillet knife on partially frozen fish ( I got impatient) and it slipped and went into my hand over an inch deep. No stitches but I had to take antibiotics.

One Thanksgiving everything was working out perfectly. The only thing left was to bring my cranberry sauce out of my overstuffed fridge. In the process, I had to remove a gallon jar of pickled jalapenos. My damp hands allowed the jar to fall directly on my right ankle. In the emergency room, the doctor commented on how the new scar combined with an old scar had formed a cross...

I mail ordered a new knife. In my haste of removing the protective material I pulled it our forcefully, the wrong way and sliced my palm most of the way across and quite deeply. I ran water over it and bound it. Luckily there was no tendon damage. The doctor who stitched it (16 double layers of stitches) wanted to know what type of knife it was because he would like to get one that cut so cleanly!

I've injured my self many times cooking usually due to haste and inattention to what I was doing.

 

[RPCookin]

Just minor stuff.... a few cuts and insignificant spatter burns. I use a spatter screen, but you have to take it off to turn things... maybe an idea there for a really creative inventor????

I try to keep my attention on what I'm doing when I'm using a knife, and I keep them sharp.

 

[zfranca]

Never lose eye contact with the blade. Not even for the camera....

 

[Holly727e]

I burn myself almost every time I cook... nothing very major. I chopped off the corner tip of my thumb last year chopping an onion though. I try not to use those super sharp knives anymore.

 

[recipedirect]

I've had some pretty stupid accidents in my beginning restaurant years. Cuts, burns, falls. As a result I am much more careful. Part of my job is to teach Risk Management to our restaurant managers so I must set a good example.

 

[CharlieD]

Actually I was taught never look at the blade. And in all the truth every time I do, I cut my self. Was trying to teach this kid how to cut, chopped of tip of my finger few month ago and then I was teaching this other kid to chop, like a week latter and chopped of even more from that same tip. Never happens when i simply chop and do not look. As far as burns goes, I only have one scar from pretty bad burn, otherwise I'm sure I had more, but since there is nothing to show, i do not really remeber them.

 

[Zhizara]

I had a friend who used to say there are two types of cooks, those who get burned and those who get cut. I must be one of the lucky ones who falls into both categories. The majority of scars on my body are from cooking. My hands have scars both from being cut with knives and being burned by my own stupidity.

For the poll I chose Yes and I have changed as a result, but I could have also picked the yes, but I won't change option as well and both of those answers apply to me depending on the circumstance.

I have to agree I didn't know which poll answer to choose either. I guess I'll choose that I've changed or at least hope I have.

Love that spatter guard. I got it mostly because the stove is against a wall and I got tired of cleaning it so much.

 

[4meandthem]

Actually I was taught never look at the blade. And in all the truth every time I do, I cut my self. Was trying to teach this kid how to cut, chopped of tip of my finger few month ago and then I was teaching this other kid to chop, like a week latter and chopped of even more from that same tip. Never happens when i simply chop and do not look. As far as burns goes, I only have one scar from pretty bad burn, otherwise I'm sure I had more, but since there is nothing to show, i do not really remeber them.

I bet with the borstch nobody ever knew a thing!

 

[GoGreyhounds]

Worst thing that's happened to me was last year at school. I was boiling water for Cup Noodles (I don't wanna hear it!)....and I went to grab the pot. My hand slipped and I dropped it back on the burner and the water splattered all over me. I wasn't wearing a shirt.

 

[buckytom]

clothes are certainly important. even the tiniest spatter of hot oil in the wrong place is like cooking for torquemada.

and don't forget gloves when chopping or cleaning really hot peppers. that's always fun when you rub your eyes or have to go to the bathroom.

however, my worst accident was while cleaning up. i pushed a sponge inside a large wine glass that had a teeny crack in it, and as i twisted the glass shattered in half, slicing off big chunks of skin on either edge of my hand. you could see the white bone of my index finger's knuckle.

 

[missM]

Worst I had was when spreading oil on a red hot bbq plate with paper towels five years ago. Having a nice slurp of red and chatting to a guest at the same time Silly me!! Somehow or another, flipped the paper over onto back of hand. Oh! Oh! that was a bad one. Still have the scars.
Don't remember ever cutting myself. Dad was a great cook and taught me to use knives safely. He maintained that the sharper the knife, the less chance of cutting oneself. Seems to have worked for me.

 

[missM]

clothes are certainly important. Even the tiniest spatter of hot oil in the wrong place is like cooking for torquemada.

And don't forget gloves when chopping or cleaning really hot peppers. That's always fun when you rub your eyes or have to go to the bathroom.

However, my worst accident was while cleaning up. I pushed a sponge inside a large wine glass that had a teeny crack in it, and as i twisted the glass shattered in half, slicing off big chunks of skin on either edge of my hand. You could see the white bone of my index finger's knuckle.

ouch!!! Ouch!!!