The winter holidays are a time for
celebration, and that means more cooking, home decorating, entertaining, and an
increased risk of fire and accidents.
Following these guidelines will help make
your holiday season safer & more enjoyable...
Holiday decorating &
lighting
Use caution with holiday
decorations and whenever possible, choose those made with flame-resistant,
flame-retardant or non-combustible materials.
Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials, and
do not use candles to decorate Christmas trees.
Carefully inspect new and previously used light strings and replace
damaged items before plugging lights in. Do not overload extension cords.
Don't mount lights in any way that can damage the
cord's wire insulation (i.e., using clips, not nails).
Keep children and pets away from light strings and electrical
decorations.
Turn off all light strings and
decorations before leaving the house or going to bed.
Holiday
entertaining
Unattended cooking is the leading
cause of home fires in the U.S. When cooking for holiday visitors, remember to
keep an eye on the range.
Provide plenty of
large, deep ashtrays and check them frequently. Cigarette butts can smolder in
the trash and cause a fire, so completely douse cigarette butts with water
before discarding.
Keep matches and lighters
up high, out of sight and reach of children (preferably in a locked cabinet).
Test your smoke alarms, and let guests know
what your fire escape plan is.
Trees
When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the
label "Fire Resistant."
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, needles do not break.
When setting up a tree at home, place it away
from fireplaces, radiators or portable heaters. Place the tree out of the way of
traffic and do not block doorways.
Cut a few
inches off the trunk of your tree to expose the fresh wood. This allows for
better water absorption and will help to keep your tree from drying out and
becoming a fire hazard.
Be sure to keep the
stand filled with water, because heated rooms can dry live trees out
rapidly.
Make sure the base is steady so the
tree won't tip over easily.
Lights
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 outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been
certified for outdoor use.
To hold lights in place, string them
through hooks or insulated staples, not nails or tacks. Never pull or tug lights
to remove them.
Make sure all the bulbs work
and that there are no frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections.
Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits
with ground fault circuit interrupters to avoid potential shocks.
Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the
house. The lights could short out and start a fire.
Decorations
Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant
materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or
nonleaded metals.
Never use lighted candles
on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders, and place
candles where they will not be knocked down.
In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that
are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the
reach of children.
Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or
food that may tempt a young child to eat them.
Fireplaces
Before lighting any fire, remove all greens, boughs,
papers, and other decorations from fireplace area. Check to see that the flue is
open.
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.
Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace.
A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.
Toys and
Ornaments
Purchase appropriate toys
for the appropriate age. Some toys designed for older children might be
dangerous for younger children.
Electric toys
should be UL/FM approved.
Toys with sharp
points, sharp edges, strings, cords, or parts small enough to be swallowed
should not be given to small children.
Place
older ornaments and decorations that might be painted with lead paint out of the
reach of small children and pets.
Children and Pets
Poinsettias are known to be poisonous
to humans and animals, so keep them well
out-of-reach, or avoid having them.
Keep decorations at least 6
inches above the child’s reach.
Avoid
using tinsel. It can fall on the floor and a curious child or pet may eat it. This can cause anything from mild distress to
death.
Keep any ribbons on gifts and
tree ornaments shorter than 7 inches. A child
could wrap a longer strand of ribbon around their neck and choke.
Avoid mittens
with strings for children. The string can get tangled around the child’s neck and cause them to choke. It is easier to replace
a mitten than a child.
Watch children and pets around space heaters or the
fireplace. Do not leave a child or pet
unattended.
Store scissors and any
sharp objects that you use to wrap presents out of your child’s reach.
Inspect
wrapped gifts for small decorations, such as candy canes, gingerbread men, or mistletoe berries, all of which are
choking hazards.
Security
Use your home burglar alarm system.
If
you plan to travel for the holidays don’t discuss your plans with strangers.
Have a
trusted friend or neighbor to keep an eye on your home.
