Holiday Home Safety Tips
A beautiful home is a safe home, this holiday. If you decorate for the season, the National Safety Council urges doing so with care - especially if you use candles or electrical items that have potential to start fires. December and January are the peak months for fire-related fatalities, Council data shows, and 80 percent of fire deaths occur inside the home.
Candles are the biggest cause of holiday fires, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Each year there are more than 14,000 candle-related fires in the U.S. that cause about 170 deaths and $350 million in property loss. Live Christmas trees are another risk. Last year there were about 200 residential fires involving Christmas trees.
But fires aren't the only danger. Each year in November and December, the CPSC estimates about 10,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms as a result of falls, cuts, shocks and burns related to holiday decorating.
To put home safety at the top of your holiday wish-list:
Keep lighted candles far removed from trees, curtains or other potentially flammable items.
Check decorative lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Replace or repair any damaged light sets.
Use indoor-certified lights indoors only, and outdoor lights outdoors. Look for the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) label. Use no more than three light sets on any one extension cord. Place extension cords against the wall to avoid tripping hazards - not under carpets or through windows or doors.
If your holiday does not feel festive without a live tree, select a fresh tree that is green and has a trunk sticky with sap. Cut about 2 inches off the trunk and put it in a sturdy, water-holding stand. Keep the stand filled with water so the tree does not dry out quickly.
Stand your tree away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources. Make sure the tree does not block foot traffic or doorways.
Remember, it is "lights out!" for trees and other decorations when you leave home or go to bed. The NSC offers more tips for Christmas tree safety, holiday safety and preventing home fires. Please enjoy a safe and happy season.
