Holiday Safety

The Winter Holidays are a time for celebration, and that means more cooking, home decorating, entertaining and an increased risk of fire and other hazards. Candle lighting ceremonies during Advent, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are beautiful traditions, but keep matches, lighters and candles away from children and never leave burning candles unattended. Here are some safety tips to keep your holidays disaster-resistant! Stay safe this holiday season; it’s the best gift you can give.

TREES

Many artificial trees are fire resistant (Bearing the UL label). If you buy one, look for a statement specifying this protection.

If you buy a real tree, check it for freshness before you bring it home! A fresh tree is GREEN. (Beware…these days some are spray painted!) Fresh needles are hard to pull off of the branches. When bent between your fingers, fresh needles do not break. When the trunk of a fresh tree is bounced on the ground, a shower of falling needles shows that the tree is too dry. Cut off about two inches of the trunk to expose fresh wood for better water absorption. Trim away branches as necessary to set tree trunk in the base of a sturdy, water-holding stand with wide spread feet. Keep the stand filled with water while the tree is indoors. Cover the tree basin with a tree skirt or blanket. Place tree away from fireplaces, radiators, and other heat sources. Heated rooms dry trees out rapidly, creating fire hazards. Don’t block stairs or doorways with your tree. Dispose of the tree when the needles begin to fall off in large quantities. Turn off your Christmas tree whenever you leave your home and/or go to sleep.

Christmas Lights, Ornaments and Decorations

Use only UL approved lighting. Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials. Inspect electric lights for broken or cracked sockets and frayed wires, replace if necessary. Do not use indoor lights outdoors or visa-versa. Do not overload extension cords, and do not connect more than three sets of lights to one cord. Outlets should be readily accessible for quick disconnection if necessary. Never use lighted candles on or near a tree or other decorations. All lights should be securely fastened to the tree. Outdoor lights should be securely fastened to trees, house, walls or other firm support to protect from wind damage. No bulbs should come in contact with needles or branches. Turn off all holiday lights when you go to sleep or leave your home. Outdoor lights should be weatherproof and clearly identified as designed for outdoor use. Remove outdoor lighting as soon as the season is over. Even outside lights are not designed to withstand prolonged exposure to winter weather.

Wear gloves while decorating with spun glass “angel hair” to avoid irritation to eyes and skin. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles or plastic or non-leaded metals. Leaded materials hazardous if ingested by children.

In homes with children: Avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable. Keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children. Pieces could be swallowed or inhaled. Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food. A child could eat them!

Fireplaces

Fireplaces are very popular during the holidays. Before starting a fire, be sure to remove all decorations from the area and be sure that the flu is open. Have your chimney inspected and cleaned at least once a year. Don’t ever burn evergreens or wrapping paper in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrapping ignite suddenly and burn intensely. Use care with “fire salts,” which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten. Keep them away from children.

Candles

Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders. Keep candles away from other decorations and wrapping paper. Place candles where they cannot be knocked down or blown over. Use extreme caution when using candles in home with children and/or pets.

Artificial Snow

Artificial snow sprays can irritate lungs if inhaled. To avoid injury, read container labels; follow directions carefully.

General Rules for Holiday Safety

Make an emergency plan to use if a fire breaks out anywhere in your home. See that each family member knows what to do. PRACTICE THE PLAN!

Be sure that you have smoke and/or fire detectors on all levels of your home. Be sure that they have good batteries in them and check them at least monthly.

Be sure that EVERY member of your household knows how to contact 911 in the event of an emergency. Be sure that they know NOT to call from inside of a burning building. (Go out of the burning building and call from a cell phone, pay phone or a neighbor’s phone). Be sure that every member of your household knows what to do when they hear the smoke detector. Be sure that they know what your smoke detector sounds like. If you have young children and/or elderly people in your home, be sure that an able-bodied person is assigned to help that person out of the home in case of a fire. Be sure that your family has a meeting place outside of the home. Go to this place so that you will know when everyone is out. Be sure that every member of your household understand that once you get out safely, that you STAY OUT until the fire department gives you the okay to return to your home.

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