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First Aid for the Kitchen
Kitchen burns and cuts
This is a tale of cuts and burns* – as told by Caitlin.
When I first started cooking, even in my first jobs as a pizza girl, I didn’t mind getting a cut or two, and a burn injury here and there because I considered them to be battle wounds that I could proudly display. Kitchen burns and cuts were almost cool. However, 6 years of cooking later, and having almost 1/3 of my body covered in nicks and burn injuries, I now realize that that telling a story where inevitably the pizza wins, doesn’t necessarily look so good for me.
I think it was the movie Men in Black in which the characters burnt their fingerprints off so there wouldn’t be any proof against them. Let me tell you that I have burnt my fingerprints enough to know that this quite simply isn’t true. Kids, don’t try that at home. No matter how many times you burn your fingers you will keep your fingerprints. I’ve been burned by steam, hot soup, resting pans, and my large grill, to name a few. I should know.
I once almost lost my left pinky while slicing bread. I’ve cut to the bone on my left index finger while trying to supreme an orange in culinary school. I haven’t gone to the extreme of burning a cut to stop the bleeding, but I know of people who have. The kitchen is a tough place.
I have been thinking about what to do with all of this fantastic knowledge I have gained over the years, and thought telling you might be appropriate.
Minor Burn Treatment (warning, not for the queasy):
• If you get burned the first thing I do is to run it under cold water for as long as you can. It’ll help cool the pain.
• As a part of your burn treatments, I recommend that you never apply any creams or gels to your burns (I learned this the hard way).
• If the burn blisters, do not pop it. Think of it as your body’s way of taking care of and working to heal burns. If the blister does accidentally pop, add a little antibiotic ointment and then lightly cover with gauze or any other light dressing or adhesive bandage.
• If you have severe burns consider using Vitamin A&D ointment and it’ll help with pain and a possibly a quicker recovery time.
Heal Cuts (again, not for the queasy):
• When a cut occurs the most important thing is to clean cuts immediately!
• Once you have cleaned it, cover it with antibiotic ointment and then with a BandAid.
• If your cut is more severe, first clean it, then cover with tightly with a cloth and hold tightly for 10 minutes without peeking. If, after the 10 minutes, the cut is still bleeding, it may be a sign that you need stitches.
• Once it stops bleeding add your ointment and then tightly bandage and dress accordingly.
On a side note, in my own personal experience, I have learned never wait more than 12 hours to get stitches. There are more than a few doctors who will not stitch you up after 8 hours – again this is just my experience. If you can see the fatty tissue of your skin (like I could) and you feel like you need stitches, don’t be afraid to get a second opinion if you are told it can’t happen.
And finally if you have any questions as to whether or not you need stitches or medical attention, when in doubt seek treatment. Better safe then sorry!
*Note: these are our own personal experiences. We are not doctors, trained in any medical field and are not recommending that you follow these steps for proper healing. This is meant to be illustrative only and a good idea generator.
