Safety Tips for Holidays

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Safety tips for the holidays

The last time I checked the calendar, there were less than 50 days left before Christmas.  In the coming weeks, Christmas trees and other holiday decorations will become standard home decor as we get set to enjoy the holidays.  Before you rush to the storage room to retrieve that set of lights for the outside, or pull out the tree decorations, keep safety in mind.  Hospital emergency rooms treat an estimated 12,500 people for injuries related to holiday lights, decorations and Christmas trees.  To make sure that you are not counted in these statistics, there are a number of things that can be done to ensure that this and future Christmases are injury free and memorable.

             Christmas Trees

                     If you prefer a real Christmas tree, select one that is fresh.  To ensure freshness,  do this simple test.  Tap the tree on the ground.  If the tree is fresh, very few needles should come off the tree. 

When you get the tree home, it is very important to ensure that it has plenty of water.  Keep the tree away from heat sources like radiators, televisions, fireplaces or a window in direct sunlight.    When decorating the tree, never put lighted candles on a tree.  Finally, remove the tree within 10 to 14 days from the home. 

             Decorations

When selecting decorations, choose ones that are flame retardant and non-conductive in nature.  Do not use metallic ornaments on the tree because they can cause an electric shock if the ornament comes in contact with defective or worn wiring from lights on the tree. 

             Lights

Use CSA-approved light strings for both indoor and outdoor decoration.  To avoid a serious fire hazard, never use indoor lights for outside decorations.   And  the use of outdoor lights should never be used indoors because the heat from outdoor lights is stronger than the heat emitted from indoor lights.  

When the lights are not in use, be sure to turn them off when retiring or if leaving the home.  Never leave the lights on in the home!!

             Candles

Candles should be kept away from any sources of flammable material.  Keep candles away from young children and pets.  When retiring for the evening, be sure to extinguish the candles.

             Electrical Outlets

A very common practice is to overload the wall outlet with connections.  This should be avoided at all times.  Do not overload the wall outlet, even for short durations. 

Be sure to check for damaged electrical cords and replace any damaged cords before using.  Never pull on a plug by its cord to remove it from a outlet.  This can cause damage to the electrical cord.  Don’t coil or bunch up cords when in use and do not put them under carpets or rugs. 

These are but a few tips to help  have a safe and happy Christmas season.  Oh one final thing, also make sure that your smoke detector is working and that a multipurpose fire extinguisher is available. 

I hope that you all  have a very happy holiday season..

Till the next time, be safe.

Cheers,

Demetrio Guzzardi,

Principal

Guzzardi & Associates. 

www.guzzardiassociatesohc.com

Reference

“Home Fire Safety Tips For the Holidays”.  Canada Safety Council

http://www.safety-council.org/info/home/xmas_fire.htm