Pumpkin hand injuries sound unlikely but each year we see several of these injuries with severe consequences ranging from severed tendons through to nerves and artery injuries as well. It takes just a split second to injure yourself, leaving you with 3-4 months worth of treatment and hand therapy. Not to mention the time off work or school that goes with needing surgery to repair those vital structures in your hands. As Halloween is becoming more and more popular in Australia, we should use particular caution when carving those “Jack o Lanterns” out of hard pumpkins. And it goes without saying that pumpkin carving is definitely not for kids unsupervised!
So our top tips for Halloween safety come from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH). We figured they are the best source given Halloween is big in America!
- Always carve your pumpkins in a clean, dry and well lit area. Make sure your tools and your cutting surfaces are dry to prevent accidental slips
- Adult supervision is a must. Never let a child carve. To get them involved, perhaps ask them to draw out the pattern on the pumpkin or help clean out the insides and decorate.
- Be careful of plunging a knife into the pumpkin skin. It may get stuck or worse still, pierce through and penetrate your stabilising hand. It may be safer to use a serrated knife and use small controlled strokes in a sawing fashion.
- And of course, clean up after carving taking care not to leave sharp implements out for witches and ghosts to play with!
Should you cut your finger or hand, try and stay calm and apply continuous pressure with a clean cloth for 10-15 mins. Elevate your arm and call for help. Minor cuts should stop within this time, but may still require Medical attention to exclude more serious damage.