I find it handy to keep a towel tucked into my back pocket Many times around the house while I am making the family meal so I can always have access to it easily.
This is important especially when prepping veggies because the dryer your hands, you less likely will be to have a knife slip.
The main reason cooks go to the hospital is not burns, it's cuts.
The question is why we get cut more than getting burned? Some one would think that if we handle more of hot things than we handle the sharp items we get to get burnt that we get cut.
But really, to handle hot stuff we always use a dry towel (hot pads). Sure, sometimes we get the occasional oven burn on the arm or grease splatter from the fryers but it's the cuts that gives us the real agony.
The basic reasons for getting cut, lack of concentration and slipping as a result of wet hands. The only option you have to give for lack of concentration is to pay attention and to be vigilant.
Another solution to cutting yourself is to keep you hands dry. A wet handle on a knife or wet cutting board is a recipe for disaster. A wet hand is the beginning of a slippery situation.
It is not good enough to keeping a towel on the counter or just nearby, you need to have the towel on you so that you can have access to it at all times and not just when you want. If you don't have pockets, hang it in the front of your pants top so that it looks like a short apron. Fixing the short edge in the top of your pants and let it hang down. Place it that it will be easy to get to and long enough so you can lift it up high enough to dry the knife without discomforting yourself. Another advantage of this method is it will keep your pants free from splash stains!
However, you want to display your towel is up to you, just as long as you use one faithfully. A dry surface and dry hands will prevent the majority of all cuts.
Having no stitches while in the kitchen would be a nice record to keep. I have personally seen some major cuts that took many stitches and many months to heal. The worst cuts were those from lack of concentration. The majority were from "the slip".
So keeping a towel in your pocket or tucked into the top of your pants can go a long way to prevent an accident, not only that but during your time in the kitchen, it will make you look like you know what you are doing!
