Thanksgiving is a busy time for a lot of us. All of that cooking, cleaning, eating and catching up with friends and family members. Sometimes it’s easy to get distracted, leaving you or your home at risk for a potential accident. An emergency on Thanksgiving is the last thing you want to deal with.

Fortunately, there are some fairly simple things you can do to avoid a Thanksgiving disaster! Follow this Thanksgiving safety checklist designed to save your holiday!

Fire Hazards:

1. Never fry a turkey indoors, this includes sheds or garages. Make sure that your frying in a wide open space away from your home.
2. Never fry a turkey on a wood surface.
3. Make sure that all of your smoke detectors have fresh batteries and are working properly.
4. Keep a fire extinguisher on hand, the average number of cooking fires nearly doubles on Thanksgiving day.
5. Don’t leave the kitchen unattended when the stove and/or oven is on.
6. Make sure your turkey is completely thawed and dried before you attempt to fry it. If ice or water hits the oil, it could cause a large splash which could cause a fire or even an explosion.
7. Don’t wear loose fitting clothing when cooking.
8. Keep your stove top clear of all flammable materials.
9. Keep a heavy duty lid handy to smother any small flames that might flare up on your stove.
10. Never pour water on a grease fire.

Food and Health Safety Tips:

1. Continually clean all cooking surfaces.
2. Use separate utensils and cookware when preparing meat and/or poultry.
3. Never thaw a turkey on the counter.
4. Wash your hands frequently.
5. Keep raw meat and poultry away from all other food.
6. When thawing a turkey, place it in a pan to prevent the juices from contaminating other foods or surfaces.
7. Wash all fruits and vegetables before using them.

Turkey Thawing Tips:

There are only three ways to safely thaw a turkey: refrigerator, the cold water method, and the microwave.

-The amount of time it takes to thaw a turkey in the fridge depends on its size. It’s suggested that you need one day to thaw a turkey for every 4 to 5 pounds. For example, a 12-pound turkey will need about three days to thaw.

– If you didn’t allow yourself enough time to thaw your turkey in the fridge, you can use the cold water method. Place your turkey in a leak-proof bag and submerge the whole thing in water. Estimate that you’ll need 30 minutes or so for every pound. Remember safety first, change the water every half hour.

-If you happen to have a smaller turkey, you can use the microwave as your thawing method. The label on the turkey should tell you if a microwave will work.

Travel Safety 101:

1. Do not post your travel plans on any social media platforms.
2. Make sure that all of your windows and doors are securely locked before leaving town.
3. Do not leave your washer or dryer running while you’re gone.

Have a Safe and Fun Thanksgiving!

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