The holidays are a festive time of year, but all those decorations can present safety hazards. With travel and entertaining, it’s easy to become distracted. Here are some tips to keep your home and family safe.
Holiday Lighting
• When purchasing holiday decorations look for ones made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant and non-combustible materials.
• Keep open flames away from decorations and other combustible materials.
• Keep your Christmas tree away from the fireplace.
• Inspect your lights for loose or broken bulbs and replace damaged ones prior to stringing them up.
• Keep kids and pets away from light strings, battery-operated decor as well as fragile ornaments — broken glass can present a number of issues, from cuts to pets swallowing shards.
• Check to make sure your outdoor lights are meant for exterior use.
• Before hanging lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use.
• Make sure all Christmas tree lights are off and candles are completed extinguished before heading to bed.
Holiday Cooking
• Keep a close eye on your stove and oven to avoid stovetop or grease fires.
• If there are young children, try to keep pots toward the back of the stovetop, and make sure handles aren’t easily accessible.
• Store matches and alcohol in areas not accessible to kids.
Christmas Tree Safety
• If buying a live tree, get as fresh a tree as possible and cut the trunk to help with watering.
• Make sure the tree does not block exits/doorways and is not near a heat source.
• Water the tree every day, paying special attention to the first few days, when water absorption is highest.
