10 Tips for Holiday Decorating

Every year nearly 13,000 people end up in the emergency room with holiday decorating related injuries. Crazy, huh? Here are some holiday safety tips to keep you out of the ER this holiday season.

  1. Buy a fresh Christmas tree. Live trees should be green and their needles hard to remove. They should also bend without breaking.
  2. Keep live trees away from heat sources, such as fires, vents, space heaters, and radiators. Each of these tends to dry out live trees, which can cause a fire. Ensure that the tree always has plenty of water and isn’t blocking a doorway or walkway.
  3. Artificial trees should be fire resistant. This indicates that the tree is more resistant to heat sources and therefore, fires.
  4. Trim the tree with childproof ornaments. Avoid tree décor that is sharp, heavy, or breakable. Also, ornaments that look like food or candy can pose a choking hazard for young children as they might try to eat it.
  5. Keep an eye on lit candles. Blow out candles if you leave the room, go to bed, or leave the house.
  6. Keep candles on a stable surface. Place candles on a high, stable surface such as a countertop or the kitchen table. They should be out of reach of children and pets, who might find the flames intriguing.
  7. Make sure you lights have the “UL” label. Indoor and outdoor lights must meet strict regulations, and when they do, they get the UL label. The red label indicates that they’re safe for both indoor and outdoor use, while the green label signifies that the lights are good for indoor use only.
  8. Check lights for damage. Whether they’re fresh out of the box or not, check for broken or cracked sockets, frayed wires, or bad connections.
  9. Use the right extension cord. Indoor extension cords should not be used for outdoor lights, as they are not made to be weather resistant.
  10. Don’t burn wrapping paper in the fireplace. It might seem like a good idea, but throwing wrapping paper in the fireplace can cause a flash fire, which is when wrappings ignite suddenly.

If you’re not sure about the safety of your holiday decorations, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Discard old decorations and replace them with new ones.

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