The holidays should be a magical time. Yet each year, hospital emergency rooms treat about 8,700 people for injuries, such as falls, cuts and shocks related to holiday lights, decorations and Christmas trees.
Keep the season merry with this list of safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Safer trees and decorations
When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label “Fire Resistant.” Although this label does not mean the tree won’t catch fire, it does indicate it will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.
When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and, when bent between your fingers, do not break. Also, the trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.
When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces and radiators. Because heated rooms dry live trees out rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.
Make sure to water a live tree daily to keep it from drying out.
Never use lighted candles on a tree. Always use nonflammable holders and place candles out of children’s reach.
Take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children so they don’t swallow or inhale them, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food, which may tempt a young child to eat them.
Protecting kids and pets
- Holiday decorations can easily be mistaken for a shiny snack, so keep bite-sized ornaments out of reach (this includes items like tinsel).
- Mistletoe, poinsettia, lilies and holly berries are all toxic; it’s best to avoid decorating with these plants if you have kids and/or pets.
- Ensure children and/or pets don’t have access to open trash cans and table scraps.
- Keep children/pets away from cooking areas; use back burners and turn pot handles inward.
- Keep fires and flames out of reach of both children and pets.
- If you have a live Christmas tree, ensure kids/pets cannot drink the water from the stand or consume fallen pine needles.
Light safety
Indoors or outside, always use lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory that indicates conformance with safety standards.
Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections, and throw out damaged sets.
Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.
Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
Before using lights outside, check that they have been certified for outdoor use.
Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house, as they could short out and start a fire.
Safety first
The key to a happy holiday is your family’s and guests’ safety. There are number of things that can wrong during this hectic time of year. But if you follow the above tips, the chances of something happening will be greatly reduced.