148 Adventures in Food and Nutrition
Kitchen
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s Do Accidents
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Many accidents are caused by a chain
of events. The first three links in the chain
lead up to the accident. The fourth link
is the accident itself. The last link is the
injuries or damage the accident causes. You
can prevent accidents by breaking the first
three links of the chain. Here is an example
of how the chain of events might occur.
• Link 1 - The Setting: Jack, who is in
eighth grade, is making a special
spaghetti dinner for his parents. His
fi ve-year-old sister, Marla, is helping
him. Jack begins by putting a pan of
water on the range to boil. Then, he
and Marla set the table.
• Link 2 - Careless Habit: As a cook,
Jack is often in a hurry. He knows
how to prepare many foods, but for-
gets to take the time to follow basic
safety rules. For instance, he may
leave a pan handle turned outward
so that it extends over the edge of
the range. Sometimes he stands on a
chair to reach a high shelf.
• Link 3 - The Unsafe Action: Tonight
is like other nights. Jack left a pan
handle turned outward.
• Link 4 - The Accident: Dinnertime is
near. While Jack is busy putting the
salad on the table, Marla decides
she wants to help cook the meal.
She is small and can’t see the cook-
top. Last week she saw Jack stand
on a chair to reach a high shelf. So,
she pulls a chair over to the range.
As she steps onto the chair, her head
bumps the pan handle. The pan falls
off the cooktop. The chair tips over.
• Link 5 - The Outcome: Marla fell
on the fl oor and was soaked with
the water from the pan. This time,
Marla was very lucky. She could
have been badly burned and broken
some bones. Luckily, the water was
only warm. It made her wet and up-
set, but she was not burned. Falling
off the chair gave her a few small
bruises.
Marla’s accident could have been
prevented. What would you do to break the
first three links in the chain of events?
It’s easy to prevent accidents when you
keep safety in mind. Injuries are painful.
Some are deadly. So, it pays to be careful.
Accidents can be prevented by breaking links one,
two, or three.
148 Adventures in Food and Nutrition
Discuss: How could Marla’s accident have been prevented?
What are some kitchen accidents you have had? What were
the links in the chain of events that led up to the accident? How
could your accident have been prevented?
Kitchen Basics Kitchen Basics