CHANUKKAH 2017:  SAFETY GUIDELINES

Chanukkah is a happy time and I wish to assure that you and your loved ones have a most enjoyable holiday.

Here are some safety guidelines which will enhance this festive holiday:

Menorah and Chanukah

Our children and grandchildren make the most beautiful homemade menorahs. Alas, they are for show-and-tell and decorative purposes only as most of them are flammable

Place the Hanukkiah on a sturdy surface made of nonflammable material such as marble, glass or metal. Second choice:  Place aluminum foil on smooth surface and then the menorah on it

Place the Hanukkah candles ONLY inside the menorah made of nonflammable material

Never place the menorah near or under any flammable material such as curtains or books

Stay stationary while holding a lit candle

Do not place the Hanukkah lamp in a location where it can be knocked over – either by a passing person or wind, or where something can fall on it

Keep matches and lit objects away from children

Make sure your pet cannot reach the Hanukkiah

Never leave a lit menorah unattended!

Keep all oil out of reach of children

Use a long tipped lighter to keep the flame away from your fingers

Never leave the house with a lit menorah. NEVER LIGHT AND LEAVE  

Cooking and Chanukah

Hanukkah also means oily, fried foods such as latkes, fried chicken and donuts.  Yes, fun to make and delicious.

If you make these foods at home, you will be dealing with oil that can reach up to 400 degrees which can be a fire or burn safety hazard.

Please follow these safety tips to avoid a Hanukkah cooking accident:

• Ensure that your fire alarms are in working order
• Never leave the kitchen while frying foods and always keep a close eye on the pans or fryer
• Keep water away from the cooking area as even a small splash combined with oil can create very hot steam
• Use vegetable, canola, corn, grape seed, safflower, or sunflower oil as they have a high “smoke point”
• Do not pour huge amounts of oil in your frying pan-it is not necessary to make a delicious latke and is a fire safety hazard
• Do not “overcrowd” the food in the oil
• Flip latkes carefully with a slotted spatula or pancake flipper to avoid oil splashing
• Use metal cooking tongs to flips chicken or donuts to keep your hands from touching the oil
• Keep your stove vent turned on while you are frying foods to help keep smoke from the oil at bay

Place cooked food onto a paper-towel on a plate to soak up oil

If you are keeping cooked food warm in the oven, remove from paper towel and keep the temperature low at below 200 degrees and be careful not to drip oil into the oven from the plate

G-d forbid, if one gets burned, the following is protocol:  DROP AND ROLL.  This means do NOT remove clothing while it’s in flames.  The person should DROP to the floor and ROLL until flames are extinguished.  Place person in cold water bath and remove all clothing.

Assess severity of burns, realizing a child’s percentage area is greater than that of an adult.  All burns to the groin and face and mucous membranes are more significant and will need urgent attention.

Minor areas without blistering – cut up an onion (white or red) and smear over burnt area.  DO NOT POP large blisters.  Sylvadene can be applied to large areas EXCEPT the face.  Call your physician and Hatzoloh to be evaluated.