Carving pumpkins safely — local occupational therapist weighs in

By tradition, Halloween is a scary holiday on the calendar, but cutting yourself while carving a pumpkin may be truly frightening, with potentially long-lasting impact on the victim.

"Nothing is scarier than a hand injury," said Donna Hart Goodson with Premier Physical Therapy, with offices in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Advance, Missouri.

"Every year, I expect to see at least one hand injury that could have been prevented if extra safety measures had been taken when carving a pumpkin," Goodson said. "Most injuries I've seen are from a child or adult holding a wet knife while trying to cut through tough pumpkin skin. The hand slips and a finger gets cut on the knife blade, cutting through vital tendons in the fingers. Unfortunately, therapy for these injuries is generally needed long after Halloween has passed and sometimes results in loss of hand function."

In a news release, Premier said 48% of Halloween injuries in 2021 were related to pumpkin carving — including minor cuts, lacerations, stab and puncture wounds, severed tendons, nerve and ligaments leading to loss of motion, sensation and hand strength.

"I've seen injuries in the dominant and non-dominant hand that occur when carving pumpkins. Both hands are susceptible to injuries when it comes to using a knife," Goodson said.

Advice

Premier offers the following tips to avoid injury this Halloween:

• Well-lit areas help a pumpkin carver see the task at hand clearly;
• Dry hands and pumpkins also enhance safety;
• Carving should be limited to adults. Children may help pick out a design and may assist in clean out;
• Never allow a child to use a knife for carving. A pumpkin's tough skin and soft middle of the winter squash make for using a knife with precision difficult;
• Consider carving the pumpkin before removing the innards, as this decreases the likelihood of placing one's hand inside while carving;
• Buy pumpkin carving kits with tools specifically made for the task and that lessen the chance of injury;
• Never put the non-dominant hand directly behind the pumpkin where the knife could slip and cut. Also, make sure tools are dry to avoid slipping while gripping the knife.