Holiday Safety Don't Let Hazards Be an Uninvited Guest This Season
Do you have guests coming to stay this holiday season? Use this advice to help you prepare your home for friends and family of all ages: > Check the lights over all stairways, hallways, porches and entries to ensure all bulbs are working and bright enough to illuminate the entire area below. Stick to the maximum safe wattage, which is printed inside the fixture.
> If tubs and showers don't already have non-stick strips or mats in them, install them now. Attach a sturdy grab-bar on the edge of the tub. Place nightlights inside bathrooms or in the hallways leading to them.
> If your guests will include toddlers, purchase safety gates and place them at the tops and bottoms of stairways.
> If you have an attached garage and/or fuel-burning heat or appliances, your home should have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector installed to protect sleeping areas.
> Post the local and national poison control hotline number, as well as other local emergency numbers, near every telephone. The National Poison Control Hotline is 1-800-222-1222.
> To guard against curious children, make sure all matches and lighters, medications, household cleaners, toiletries and other dangerous products are in original containers with child-proof closures and/or locked in a cabinet. Remember to keep purses, backpacks and luggage out of children's reach too.
> Every home must have working smoke alarms on each level and protecting all the places people will be sleeping. Before guests arrive, test every smoke alarm and replace any dead or missing batteries. Walk through your home fire escape plan with guests, pointing out primary and secondary exits and the outside meeting place.
> Prevent scalds by turning your hot water heater temperature to 120F or less.
> When toddlers are visiting, use toilet seat locks to prevent drowning. Be aware that buckets, spas, tubs and all standing water are a serious drowning risk for early walkers.
> Make guest rooms safe as well as welcoming. Place a nightlight inside each room and the hallway outside it. Provide each guest with a working flashlight. If possible, place a telephone in each guest room as well.
Tips for Holiday Electrical Safety
Holiday lights and electrical decorations create a warm and festive atmosphere both inside and outside the home - but they can also create fire hazards and electrical shock risks, if they are not handled properly. Take the following precautions while decorating your home this year: > Inspect holiday lights and extension cords before decorating. Replace any that are fraying or otherwise damaged. Pay special attention to lights, cords or decorations that may have been damaged from winter weather conditions.
> Check for red or green UL marks on all light strings and extension cords. The green holographic UL Mark means the light strings should be used only indoors. The red holographic UL Mark indicates the light strings can be used both inside and out -- and can withstand conditions related to outdoor use.
> Follow manufacturer's guidelines for stringing light sets together. As a general rule, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) recommends using no more than three standard-size sets of lights together.
> Do not overload extension cords or electrical receptacles.
> Unplug all holiday lights when you go to sleep or leave home.
> Automatic lighting timers can be used to ensure that lights are not left on. These are available for both indoor and outdoor applications.
> Roll up excess electrical cords and keep them away from high traffic areas. Do not run electrical cords under rugs.
> Never keep an extension cord plugged in when it is not in use.
> When replacing a light bulb, make sure that the replacement bulb is of equal or lesser wattage than that recommended by the manufacturer.
> If you have children in your home, use safety caps on all electrical receptacles
Trim the Tree Safely
Trimming the tree is a traditional holiday pastime; however, Christmas trees pose a serious danger to households if not properly cared for. Some tips when selecting and caring for your Christmas tree this holiday season: > When purchasing live, cut trees or greens, carefully inspect the needles. If they're brown or break easily, the greenery isn't fresh and poses a greater fire risk. Test for freshness by bending a few needles in half. If they snap in two, the tree is dry - look for one on which the needles spring back to their original shape. When you take your tree home, put it in a sturdy, non-tip stand filled with water.
> Keep live trees supplied with water at all times; dehydrated Christmas trees can catch fire more easily.
> Make sure the tree is at least three feet away from any flame or heat source and try to position it near an outlet so that cords are not running long distances. Do not place the tree where it may block exits.
> Never decorate trees with candles.
> Inspect electrical lights and extension cords for wear and tear and replace any cords that are beginning to fray or have broken sockets; pay special attention to outdoor lights that have been exposed to winter weather conditions. To reduce fire hazards and extend the life of outdoor decorative lights, bring them inside after the holidays.
> Avoid cluttering outlets - string no more than three strands of lights together and make sure all lights bear the mark of an independent organization such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
> When decorating outdoors, use only those lights listed for outdoor use. Unplug all lights - inside and out -- before going to bed or leaving home.
> Safely dispose of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried-out trees are flammable and should not be left inside the home or garage, or placed against the house.
> Make sure your home is equipped with working smoke alarms and fire extinguishers. Don't forget to install, test and maintain these devices in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
> Develop and practice a fire escape plan for your household so overnight guests are familiar with your procedures.
Halloween Safety
Halloween represents a time of fun and festivity. Candy corn, costumed kids and carved pumpkins set the scene. Follow these simple tips to make sure your Cinderella or Frankenstein does not get spooked by holiday dangers: > Only permit trick-or-treating at the homes of friends and neighbors you know well.
> When purchasing costumes and accessories, buy only those marked “flame retardant” or “flame resistant”.
> Avoid costumes made of long, flowing material and accessories that can move or blow over open flames.
> Choose costumes that are light, bright and clearly visible. Apply reflective tape to the front and back of costumes to help motorists see your child.
> Avoid costumes that block your child’s vision and increase the risk of a fall.
> Be sure that costume accessories, such as knives and swords, are made of soft, flexible material.
> To keep vision clear, consider using face paint instead of a mask.
> Give your child a flashlight to light the way and signal drivers of his or her presence. Never carry candles, torches or other open flames as part of a costume.
> Examine all treats thoroughly before allowing children to eat them.
> Throw away open treats, those not in their original wrapping and homemade goodies from unknown sources.
> Slice open fruit to check for foreign objects.
> Contact the Poison Control Center Hotline if you believe your child has consumed anything hazardous. The national hotline number is 1-800-222-1222. Notify local police of any suspicious candy.
> Young children should never help carve a pumpkin. As an alternative, decorate pumpkins with markers, paint or stickers.
When hosting trick-or-treaters at your home, keep these safety tips in mind: > Do not use candles when decorating porches to prevent costumes from catching fire. Light jack-o-lanterns with small flashlights instead of candles.
> Provide bright walkway and porch lighting to help prevent falls.
> Offer treats wrapped in their original packages.
> If you decorate your home with candles, keep them well away from crepe paper, leaves and other flammable objects. Extinguish all candles when leaving the room.
Enjoy Fireworks Safely
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in 2003 an estimated 9,700 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with fireworks. More than half the injuries were burns and most involved the hands, eyes and head and 50 percent of the victims were children under age 15.
As the July 4th holiday approaches, families are urged to enjoy fireworks the safer way, by attending locally sanctioned fireworks shows presented by professionals who adhere to safety codes.
Fireworks are not toys, they are devices designed to reach high temperatures, to burn and spark, and to explode and launch. They are unpredictable by nature and too dangerous for nonprofessional users.
Dr. Gary Smith, Director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Columbus Children’s Research Institute in Ohio conducted a 22-year study* of fireworks injuries treated in emergency rooms. What he found may help you understand the risk. Here is a sampling: > 67 percent of sparkler-related injuries were among children 5 years or younger
> 70 percent of patients treated for all fireworks injuries were male
> Adult supervision was present in 54 percent of the cases
> The eyes were injured in nearly one-third of the cases
> The average age of patients was eight and ½ years
Although many states permit fireworks use by consumers, only trained and experienced experts should use or transport fireworks. |
