'Stand By Your Pan': Be Safe While Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner

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DENVER (CBS4) - The aprons are tied, your ingredients are out and all you have to do is turn on the stove. You are ready to roll up your sleeves and start preparing those Thanksgiving meals, but doctors want you to be careful, so you do not have to eat Thanksgiving turkey in the hospital!

(credit: Thinkstock)

During this time of thanks we also want to be aware of kitchen dangers and make sure cooks, young and old, are safe.

CBS4's Britt Moreno spoke with Tracey Holmberg, a trauma coordinator and injury prevention expert at Swedish Medical Center. She says much can go wrong in the kitchen besides a burnt pumpkin pie.

CBS4's Britt Moreno interviews Tracey Holmberg. (credit: CBS)

"Cooking injuries, cooking fires are the number one thing we see. We want to make sure people have fun, but are safe," she said.

Thanksgiving is the leading day for home fires involving cooking equipment, according to health and fire officials.

Holmberg says "stand by your pan." Make sure you watch things cook and don't leave anything unattended. She recommends a kid free zone at least three feet from the stove and oven. She also advises people wear tighter fitting clothes. No flutter sleeves ladies, because the fabric could catch fire!

But what happens if you do get burned? Holmberg says move away from the heat and run the wound under cool water for at least 20 minutes. She says do not put butter, honey or any other ointment or home remedy on it and then lay a clean cloth on the burn.

The National Fire Protection Association also offers cooking safety tips:

- Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food.
- Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently.
- Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay 3 feet away.
- Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
- Keep the floor clear so you don't trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
- Keep knives out of the reach of children.
- Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
- Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.
- Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle.
- Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.

Britt Moreno anchors the CBS4 morning and noon newscasts and is the Wednesday's Child reporter. She loves hearing from viewers. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @brittmorenotv.