Domestic Safety is extremely important. Accidents occurring at home are a very high cause of serious injuries and may be more disruptive and disorienting than those equivalent injuries occurring in the work place. Why? Generally speaking serious accidents occur infrequently in any one household and generally households, although busy, tend to be quieter, calm and controlled. An accident predictably can cause chaos and confusion.
When accidents occur at home reaction time should be quick but not panicked. Panic just adds more confusion and delays to the process of doing the best we can and appropriately. Often there is pain, surprise and fright. These three elements generally are not dangerous by themselves but responses by the body to a situation. Pain itself does not cause injury, but panicking to control the pain can lead to unsafe behaviour and subsequent further injury. Surprise is instantaneous and fright can usually be controlled by competent reassurance. The carer should be calm, reactive and ideally informed. They are best to be in control.
The most important thing to remember and to control is the safety factor. Remove the elements that caused the mishap. If it was a burn make sure the source of the heat is turned off or turned away from the place of the treatment. If it was caused by broken glass or a blade, then remove the blade or shattered glass from the area of treatment. If it was an electrical incident, then switch off the power to the appliance and remove the appliance from the power receptacle.
Injuries occurring during cooking: Burns and cuts.
Burns: Occur in the cooking phase of food preparation.
The specific burns encountered may be sue to naked flame, hot surfaces, steam or hot oil.
Irrespective of the cause the damage done is identical and the first aid treatment is the same. The higher the heat the more damage can be done.
naked flame burns generally come from gas cooking. The best way is to get into the habit of turning off the gas at the same time you finish cooking. If there's a two or multi-stepped cooking process it is worthwhile turning off the gas in between each cooking process. The re-igniting of the gas takes a second, the heat is instantaneous and the risk of accidental burning is minimal. Gas installations should be carried out by trained service people. Gas is one area where there seems to be a delay in poor workmanship and accidents. It is usually as simple as a miss-matched fitting but it is likely to show up in time and cause an accident. Inspection of connecting hoses and regulators for damage is a good habit also. If something is not right then at a time that's convenient to you during an inspection you probably will be able to have the problem rectified.
Hot surfaces occur around the site of the heat and the cooking utensils used. The spot support structures over a gas ring will be hot obviously and few people would presume to touch this without checking first. Cooking implements are less likely to be presumed hot if they are not wih the cooking items. So a ladle which may have been used for cooking the contents in a pot may be put down on a cold surface and mistakenly picked up not by the handle but by a hot part and can burn.
Steam issuing from a pot with a lid covering is as hot as boiling water but in fact it may have more heat and can burn terrifically extremely quickly. The steam on a dry hot day can be fairly invisible in low light situations. An arm reaching across a pot even with asome covering can receive a very bad burn if it comes too close to the steam. Another cause of steam burn is when pouring off excess boiling water. The steam that issues when a pot is turned out into a sink or whatever has a much greater surface area so that a lot more steam issue up when this happens. This generally is a low level burn but can cause a reaction that then may cause a much more serious burn such as dropping the pot and splashing the boiling contents. Stumbling and an injury not related to a burn but still debilitating. Steam is often an overlooked risk.
Hot oil causes extremely severe burns. temperatures are typically 180oC 350oF. Spilled hot oil is a nightmariesh scenario. Never transfer hot oil using a one handled pot. There is such lack of control that the slightest glitch can cause a spill. The most sensible people would allow all hot oil to cool to room temperature before doing anything with it, one handle or two.
Spattering oil can be caused by small eruptions such as cumin seeds splattering in the oil. This is often used as a test for checking appropriate oil temperature for frying. It's a good test but be wary. The trick here is to keep well back so that the tiny oil globules can't hit you on the skin. The second most common reason is water in or on the food. Typically vegetables that have been peeled and washed then placed into frying oil are the causes of fairly marked splattering of oil. It's important to pat dry washed vegetables with a cloth or paper towels and inspect them before placing them into the oil. It's also a good habit to use tongs to place the food object into the oil rather than fingers.
The third cause of oil burns is fire. The fire can start by over-heating of oil generally on a naked flame or gas burner. there are usually warning signs before ignition including the generation of smoke from the surface of the oil. For this reason it's important that you keep an eye on the heated oil at all times. Sometimes there is a fire in an oil pan and unfortunately a person has poured water onto the flames. The oil will spatter out explosively in this situation and much of it will be alight. Never pour water onto hot oil. The first thing that should be done it to attempt to smother the flames preferably being able to turn off the heat source as well. The best way to smother the flames is with a fire blanket.
Cuts: Occur generally in preparative phases of cooking and often by blades, typically for two reasons.
1. Loss of concentration and not focusing on the job at hand.
Don't allow a distraction to jeopardise safety. It is better to stop the activity for the time of an interruption then resume when the situation allows.
2. Using sharp tools that are not matched or maintained for the job.
If the job requires cutting hard foods such as galangal then it really is important to have a sharp implement for this. You really don't want to put excessive force onto a dull blade and then inevitably some loss of control when it "gives". If the edge was sharp before the job, the pressure required is greatly reduced and the loss of control not a factor. Either learn to sharpen blades or have a contractor do this for you periodically. Generally speaking dull blades cause more injuries than sharp blades!!
3. Preparing food with potentially dangerous equipment is dangerous while taking drugs which slow down reaction times and awareness. Excess alcohol is most definitely contra-indicated during food preparation.
Cuts caused by broken glass.
This is also a common occurrence at home. Glass breaks on impact and when there is a sudden big change in temperature.
Dropping glass is something that can be difficult to prevent but there are some high risk and preventable precautions.
Don't pick up hot contents in a glass vessel. You will drop it as a reaction.
Glass surfaces and water cause a lack of friction and glass easily slips in wet hands. This one is easy. Dry your hands and dry the glass object.
Don't place boiling hot foods into a cool glass vessel. The expansion of the glass can fracture it.
Fire Safety
Kitchens
are best served by dry fire extinguishers. Water based extinguishers
are dangerous in cooking areas, for two reasons: Oil and water don't mix and in fact the foced addition of water onto a burning oil fire can cause a spalsh of burning oil so rapidly speading the fire. The second aspect is that kitchens tend to have many electrical appliances with the obvious risk of electrical injury when water is added to the situation. The easy availability of a fire blanket
is an exceptionally sensible precaution. If your kitchen has a single
line of access and the food prep and cooking area are central, then it
is highly recommended that you invest in two dry chemical extinguishers and two fire
blankets, one set for each side of the hob. Dry chemical extinguishers are an effective flame extinguisher if you know how to use them. Please read the information provided
for effective deployment of these two life and property saving
facilities.
The work area.
The area of preparation should be cleaned and uncluttered. You should have unobstructed access to flowing water.
There should be a safe supply of electricity and the electrical appliances should be safe. If you have a portable island bench then have overhead power outlets installed. Don't have trailing extension leads across the floor. It's very dangerous.
No frayed or perished electrical cords, non-double insulated appliances must be earthed and/or protected by a functional RCD circuit.
Power outlets and electrical appliances should not be within a meter of a faucet. (This is gnrally controlled by regulations)
Power cords must not be trailing in water or oil on the work surface.
Shoes should be worn when using electrical appliances. Shoes act as insulator in the case of an electrical fault and secondly they generally offer some grip in a sudden slippery situation.
Make sure you have dry hands when connecting/disconnecting an appliance to the electrical supply outlet.
Power cords should not be draped across thoroughfare spaces and they should not cross a work prep area such as a cutting board.
If an electrical incident has occurred then please do not resume use of the appliance and their fitting until it has been thoroughly re-inspected. If it fails inspection and cannot be safely repaired, then discard the appliance and make sure any other person cannot use it, no matter how dear and dear it is. Life is far more valuable!
Spills are hazardous!
If you spill food or water on the floor then it is important to clean and dry this area with a mop or cloth immediately.
If you spill oil or cooking grease onto the floor. Firstly let it cool if it was hot. Then wipe it up with absorbent material such as paper or a cloth. The next thing to do is to wash the area with a detergent to completely remove any oily residue. Rinse and dry. This is important.
Food Prep Hygiene.
This is an area that can drive people crazy. OH&S doesn't need to be fully implemented in a household. But the principles are very reasonable and do help in preventing food spoiling and contamination.
Clean any surface prior to food preparation. Wash your hands. Always use clean implements and dishes.
Prepare meat first of all and if not cooked immediately place aside in the fridge or on the bench if it will be a short time.
Wash the meat dishes and implements. Clean the work bench immediately. This is possibly the single most important cleaning requirement. Bacteria are at the highest numbers immediately following preparing meat. Wash your hands again.
Wash all vegetables in potable running tap water. If the water is not potable rinse the produce under the running water to remove the bulk of the potential contamination then rinse again by pouring bottled or cooled boiled water over the produce to rinse away any original water. Most studies trialing various cleaning agents for vegetables and fruit haven't delivered anything as hoped. In fact there have been some negative effects. The use of high salt content, hypochlorite, lemon juice, vinegar all have failed as a reliable disinfectant. The best cleaning is with fresh running water
If the water you use is contaminated with bacteria boiling will kill the bugs if it is allowed to boil for long enough. This is considered as 1 minute at sea level adding an extra two minutes for each mile of altitude (1600 metres). So boiling vegetables from 5 minutes or greater is a safe practice.
Frozen Food Safety
Frozen foods, particularly meats should be thawed in the refrigerator. If this is followed the thawed meat can be refrozen. (Ref: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/focus_on_freezing/index.asp#14)
Refrigerator Storage
The temperature of your fridge compartment must be between 0oC and 4oC (ie 32F and 40F) {At temperatures less than 0oC (32F) contents may begin to freeze. This may cause a change in the physical nature of the food and an increased rate of deterioration when thawed}
Freezer temperatures must be below -20oC (-4F)
Loading your fridge from a trip to the supermarket should be done systematically. Unwrap outer wrappers of meat parcels. Make sure meats are sealed in plastic wrap. Wash your hands between each item of meat to minimise cross contamination at this level. Take note of the use by dates or the sell by dates and recommendations for usage.
After loading the meats again wash your hands. Load the rest of the items in a systematic and relatively open piles to allow air to cool the food quickly and completely. After chilling it is OK to re-pack the piles of foods into more condensed piles for better use of space.
Modern refrigerators usually have pre-moulded sections or shelves in the door. Typically eggs, milk and other dairy produce are earmarked for this area. Unfortunately refrigerator doors are often not well insulated and some of the door spaces investigated, have shown unacceptable temperatures in this region even when the body compartment was within safe limits. Thus presume the door is an unsafe area for milk and eggs. Both of these should be stored in the main body of the fridge. (You may like to check the door temperatures with an appropriate thermometer over a few days. If it's within specification then of course it is safe to use the door as supplied for storage. The door is OK for butter/margarine and cheeses, sauces and other relatively stable items. In very hot conditions at least, do not use the door for milk and egg storage.
Meat should be stored at the bottom of your refrigerator and preferably in the meat drawer. This prevents downward cross contamination. Thawing of meats should be done in the refrigerator within the body of the fridge but the frozen meat should be contained within a resealable plastic bag and then placed on a tray or plate. This will ensure that if there is any leakage it won't potentially contaminate other foods below that level in the fridge. One of the bad bugs here may be listeria which can be quite nasty and can cause miscarriage in pregnancy at any stage of gestation. Listeria will affect any of any age moderately severely. There are quite a few other nasty bugs that are noticed with meats.
Perishable foods purchased in stores should be eaten by the use by date or within a specified period of the sell by date. Unfrozen foods pre-packaged may be frozen but please mark on them the number of days to expiry post defrost.
Spills should be cleaned immediately and this is particularly important if the liquids of the meat are spilled. Meat is the number one potential infectious food item.
Food drawers should be cleaned periodically and if you shop once a week then it's good to clean the drawers once a week.
Defrosting non-auto defrost fridges. Ice accumulation will reduce the efficiency of the refrigerator and can even take parts of the fridge above the safety temperature. Most fridges have a defrost button and some means of collecting any condensate from the defrost. It's important to empty this defrost regularly if its collected within the body of the cabinet of the fridge during the process particularly if the fridge is well iced. The reason being is that this defrost may also be contaminated if there was any spill in or on the freezer compartment of such a fridge. The smaller the volume managed at a time, the less likelihood of spilling the condensate again. As with all routine processes it's ideal if you can set a schedule for defrosting say once a fortnight and this will prevent any major ice build up and temperature problems. There is no need to force defrost the fridge. Allowing the fridge to defrost under it's own system is the best way to manage this. This will keep refrigerated items cold and safe during the process and the auto-start will kick in when the temperature gets above the set limit. It's always a good thing to have an appropriate thermometer in the fridge to check the operating temperature and the defrosting temperature.
The running temperature of the fridge should be set and checked periodically it's most important to measure the temperature on the first shelves of the body of the fridge and make your adjustments based on your temperature readings there.
Finally there may be variations over the yer of the fridge temperature. For this reason also it's a good practice to measure the operating temperature and make adjustments as needed.
I don't think that any of these guidelines are burdensome and the level of protection offered is great. No-one following these guidelines will cause cross contamination and you will be sure of the most efficient and safe refrigerator storage of perishable produce.
Don't be a sausage. Be informed on Safety and 1st Aid
( You may well be a true life saver with these skills)
A note on safety and first aid: Burns.
I apologise for teaching your grandmother how to suck eggs and I do
think that most of us are sensible and careful. Accidents on the other
hand happen unexpectedly and an accident caused by disorganisation or
by fluke momentary incident is likely to cause damage and personal
injury to some extent, irrespective of the cause. We are working with
really high energies when cooking Asian food. Often high flux gas
rings, hot oil in an exposed area and steam. Any of these can injure
quickly.
A good space for cooking Asian should be uncluttered, ventilated with
clear lines of sight and throroughfare to the running cold water. All
obstacles from the cooking area to the tap (faucet) should be inspected and
cleared.
In the case
of a burn of any origin to the skin, move immediately to the running
cold water and place the affected body part under the running cold
water and keep it there for 5 minutes at least. If you do this
really quickly you will likely reduce the damage caused by the heat on
the exposed tissues and those tissues in close proximity to the
directly burned and it will reduce the pain. You may be tempted to remove your hand or foot or face
from the cold running water because the pain may be disappearing.
Don't. Maintain the immersion. Don't apply ice to the burned area as this may cause frostbite.
Don't
remove any burned clothing that maybe melted around the skin and
adhering. Inspect the burns. If the burns look significant and there is pain
then you may choose to seek some medical treatment for pain control if nothing else.
If they are reasonably extensive, red, blistered and painful then it is
likely to be second degree burns. The area of second degree burning is
taken as an indicator of severity as well as the site. If the
second-degree burn is no larger than 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) in
diameter, treat it as a minor burn. If the burned area is larger or if
the burn is on the hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or over a
major joint, treat it as a major burn and get medical help immediately.
If
the burn looks severe and there is little pain then please go straight
to medical services. This could be a third degree burn and can confuse
the victim as the pain isn't the indicator. The nerves may have
been damaged and so the pain receptors aren't there. This
needs to be assessed and treated urgently.
If
the burn is painful but minimal as you have probably experienced many
times throughout your cooking life and scouting or sneaking cigarettes
and backfiring matches or lighters, then you may elect to simply ignore
or take some OTC analgesics. It's of no clinical benefit to dress these
burns except to prevent the inadvertent knocking and the 1000 degree
stabs of pain caused by this. This sensitivity often subsides quickly.
Generally speaking do not dress any wounds with ointments or tinctures. You can loosely cover the burn area with sterile gauze but not the cotton flock type. There is little significant risk of infection at this
stage and you may in fact be adding more damage to the injury by treating with tinctures and ointments. Do not dress the wound with butter or petroleum grease (Vaseline). These are quite difficult to remove and need to be removed for any medical treatment. Some burns ointments are effective local anesthetics for very minor burns but can cause further tissue damage if
the burn is of greater severity. eg: many of these contain chemicals
such as picric acid, phenol, alcohol all are neurotoxic and biocidal.
Antiseptic solutions such as straight Dettol, Povidone and 70% alcohol can and probably will
destroy some good and exposed tissue.
If the burns require medical treatment by ambulance and or hospital then please don't administer any pain killer medicines. Pain can be distressing to the observer but maybe not as much as to the victim. The ambulance officers will have standing orders and telephone communications with medical personnel if pain control is required. If the victim requires surgery then giving anything by mouth can possibly delay treatment.
The initial treatment for burns is the same irrespective of the cause of the burn.
First on the scene
If you are the first to appear and there looks to have been a serious accident then first and most importantly look to see if there are any safety hazards: Fire, boiling liquids, broken glass evidence of electrical accident. Please keep calm your safety depends on this as well as that of the victim.
You need to make the area safe by dealing with these quickly and effectively before you assist any injured person. (you must not jeopardise your own safety in this situation because it is quite likely that you could become a victim of the same cause and then there are two casualties needing help)
If there is fire, extinguish the flames with coverings such as towels or blankets. Turn off the gas or power to any cooking device. Make sure that pot handles are turned inwards to prevent accidental spilling of contents.Unplug any electrical appliance. Sweep away any broken glass into a safe corner. Remove all chairs and other things.
Assess the injuries as best you can. Check that the victim is conscious. Make sure that you can safely lay them on the floor if they feel faint or in fact do faint.
If they are unconscious lay them on the floor. It doesn't have to be on their side just flat on the floor. Check for cuts if there is any broken glass, pottery or blades around. Attend to severe cuts with towels and pressure. You need to call medical assistance here.
Wait until assistance arrives while keeping focused on the victim's state of consciousness and bleeding.
First Aid for Cuts
If the accident is due to broken glass, quickly check to see if there
is any glass in the wound. If there is a relatively large shard(s), DO NOT REMOVE THE GLASS.
Place a gauze pad over the shard drape dressings each side of
the protruding shard. Then go to an emergency treatment centre.
If the cut is unobstructed and minor, with a clean cloth pat dry the
area and place gauze pad over the cut and wrap dressings over the wound
with enough pressure to stop bleeding.
If the cut is large then pressure is the first line of treatment. This
is best done with a clean towel folded to cover the area then pressure
applied over the cut. If this is a large cut or if bleeding is
difficult to control, you will need to get to an emergency treatment
centre. It is probably best to call an ambulance in this case. It's important to maintain the pressure on the cut the whole time while waiting for assistance. Once assistance arrives then let them takeover and follow any instructions they may have.
Securement of wounds ( sutures and glues). {Not inherently important at the time of injury but a burning question most often}
The decision to secure a wound in many situations is partly a medical decision and partly a personal decision. The best answer to this is to discuss your options with your doctor.
The difference between glue and sutures: There doesn't appear to be any difference in outcome. There is little difference in discomfort during the procedure but there may be a perception that sutures hurt more. There really is little evidence to support this in minor situations. Once again discuss this with your doctor.
Botulism
What is botulism?
Botulism is an illness caused by the toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. The toxin is extremely potent and arguably one of the most potent poisons known. 500 gm or 1 lb has been calculated as being enough toxin to kill half the population of the world.
Botulism toxin causes paralysis and damage of nerve-muscle joins. This can cause arrest of breathing. It generally requires victims to be placed on a respirator and for as long as three months until there is generation of new tissue.
Where is the bacteria found?
There are a few subtypes of the bacteria but in short it can be found in the soil on most of the world.
How does the poison get to people?
In humans the most common way it seems is by spore contamination of the initial foodstuffs that have been stored in an anaerobic situation. That is without oxygen. In fact the organism can grow with up to 2 % oxygen content. It also prefers a neutral pH that is a pH around 7.This most commonly occurs in preserved foods. The spores germinate and the bacteria grows, producing the toxin. If the toxin containing food is then consumed, without heat inactivation, the active toxin will also be ingested by the victim and the onset of the illness can be observed within a few hours to within a couple of days.
There have been reported cases of wound infection and botulism but rarer still.
There have been reports of babies being victims of botulism caused by honey. This is some risk until babies move from milk to solids. This is due to lack of gastric acid preventing growth of the bacteria in the babies gastro-intestinal tract.
Finally there have been very few cases reported of adults been affected by botulism when there has been no contact with affected food and no wound injury. The offered explanation is an ingested bacteria or spore that has somehow activatedand got past the defence mechanisms and grown producing the toxin and causing the illness.
Is it a risk?
Yes.
Is it likely to be a problem?
No
Is it preventable?
Yes
Is it easy to heat sterilise the bacterium?
The bacteria in growth phase are quite easy to destroy by heat . It's their spore state where they are extremely resistant to sterilisation by heat. The organism is known as thermophilic and can withstand high temperatures for an extended period. The spores are the resting phase or ungerminated bacteria. The spores need a temperature of 160C for 2 hours to be sure of eradication or 15 minutes at 121C and 15 psi steam. These conditions are unsuitable for many foods causing damage to flavour and texture. Examples of this would be infused oils, because the heat would destroy the flavours associated with the original ingredients.
The spores will germinate in appropriate conditions and this can happen even at refrigerated temperatures although at a slower rate. That's why the recommendation of fridge storage for these foods is 10 days maximum
What foods has botulism been associated with?
Pretty well most foods but particularly meats, fish, and flavoured oils such as Chillie Oil and Garlic oil, to name a few. Our concern particularly is with oils. Oils have very low oxygen levels and the contents tend to be at neutral pH. meats, vegetables and fish would have to be stored without oxygen and the spores activated. (Typically improperly container preserved foods)
So how does one prevent botulism?
There are a number of strategies.
Autoclaving or steam sterilisation at 121C for 15 minutes. (This is the same as using a pressure cooker for home sterilisation)
The use of some inhibitor chemicals in the processing of some foods. (This is really restricted to commercial processes)
Short term storage only of foods at risk: 10 days refrigerated is deemed to be an acceptable time for storage. Frozen foods are safe and can be cooked and consumed within a reasonable time to be free of the risk.
The toxin is very sensitive to heat and is completely destroyed in 10 minutes by holding at 85C. This is different to the resistance of the spores. One strategy is to heat treat the food at 85C making sure that the food content itself reaches 85C and then hold that 85C for a period of 10 minutes before serving. This is a guaranteed safe outcome.
Discarding malformed cans of food particularly if they are billowing out or produce a rush of gas on opening.
Don't perform home preserving without knowledge and the correct equipment. It's better to contact a bona-fide home preserving company and read as much as is appropriate on the safe practice of home food preserving. Ask questions of professional people in the field of this area.
Commercial products of at risk domestic preserves are a safer option because the standards and options that the accredited manufacturing companies have is greater than that available for domestic use.
