Better safe than sorry

Did you know that most accidents happen in the home?

In 2002 221,175 accidents were reported from accidents involving washing, cooking and other household chores. I found this information whilst exploring the HASS and LASS website. This website belongs to an offshoot of RoSPA (The Royal Society of the Prevention of Accidents) and is the Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System.

If you would like to find out more about all the different types of accident take a look at this file it makes for some fascinating reading. For instance in 2002 no one injured themselves with a chemistry set but 134 hurt themselves on boxes containing toys. There were 6 reported injuries involving a placemat. How does one hurt themselves with a placemat, let alone six. There were no injuries at home involving a javelin but 7 people were hurt by a table tennis ball; those tabke tennis balls are very dangerous. Socks, tights and stockings caused 575 accidents and additionally 12 accidents were caused by zips, no details of the actual part of the body injured in these zip related incidents are given.

http://www.sciencenc.com/event-help/Eye-Protection/goggle%2520indirect.jpg


Out of many amusing facts my favourite is that sunglasses caused 3 accidents but over 60 people were injured by safety goggles. Surely this means that it must be 20 times safer to wear sunglasses instead when safety specs are required.

Delia Smith is very safety conscious. Today I was following one of her Sunday lunch recipes from her Autumn Collection. It involves putting a roasting tray containing three tablespoons of olive oil in the oven whilst it heats up to 220 Centigrade. Whilst the tray of oil is heating the root vegetables are prepared.

Delia then suggests that it is important to remove the tray from the oven using oven gloves as the tray will be hot. Good job that she told me or I cold have seriously burnt my hands. She also stresses the importance of drying the vegetables thoroughly with a tea towel. I guess this is to stop the oil spitting as the vegetables are added to the roasting dish. Delia obviously wrote her Autumn Collection cookbook with a real eye on safety.

Unfortunately I wasn't paying full attention when adding the vegetables and without due regard to my own personal health and safety I just dumped them unceremoniously into the oil. It did what hot oil does when things are added, it bubbled and spat. Unfortunately both my face and arm were in the way. The hot oil hit my bottom lip leaving a blister and landed on my arm causing some first degree scalding, see picture. Nothing too bad and nothing to worry RoSPA about.

However, I have been very careful with the placemats when laying the table today.

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