August 24: National Knife Day

August 24 is Knife Day. Knives are sometimes scary, especially long, sharp ones. Use today to learn some basic Knife Safety Tips

Learn how to be safe in the kitchen while handling or working with knives.

Knife safety is very important for people of all ages. Accidental injuries may happen quickly and may be quite severe if proper attention and care are not used while handling knives.

When using the knife and the knife falls for whatever reason, never ever try to grab a falling knife. If a knife is falling, jump away from it and let it fall. Make sure you are far away from it.” Trying to catch a knife that slips may be a reflex but it can be very dangerous and may actually be worse than letting the knife fall to the floor.

Proper handling of a knife is critical to reduce the risk of an accidental injury. Keeping knives sharp is important so they will slice through items easily without requiring the user to exert excessive force that may cause the knife to slip out of his hand. Proper technique and using the correct knife for the cutting job will reduce risks as well. Always cut away from your body or slice away from your body not towards your body. If you slice a tomato or potatoes and you use one hand to hold the vegetable and use the other one to slice it, bend your fingertips to the inside of the hand and slide the blade along your knuckles. Never go with the edge above the knuckles and never put your fingertips out. The proper way to hold a knife is really very, very tough to explain. You probably have to demonstrate and to show it. I would say for the average person to really just hold it at the handle. It is advisable to use a cutting board rather than a counter top or surface that may not be stable and solid. Never hold an item in your hand that you are cutting such as a piece of fruit.