The holiday season is a great time. Memories are created and everyone is able to reconnect with family members and friends. Along with all of the good times, the holiday season should also be a time of extra caution to ensure festivities are merry, bright, and safe! Here are holiday precautions to guarantee you have your best holiday season yet.
Electrical Safety
Silver lanes are aglow this time of year, but make sure they’re lit up safely by adhering to safe holiday precautions for your electrical decorations. Be sure to check strand lighting or other electrical decorations for frayed wires or other types of damage. This can prevent shocks and fires caused by faulty wiring. Don’t overload electrical outlets and be sure to use grounded fixtures when possible. For outside decorations, be sure your chosen lighting is rated for outdoor use, free of damage, and plugged into a GFCI electrical source. Be aware of any issues with your lighting and decorations and check regularly for wear or signs of damage such as melted plastic or scorching.
Fire Safety
When you’re roasting chestnuts by the open fire, revisit holiday precautions for indoor fires. Globe all decorative candles, and never leave them unattended. Store matches away from children. Before lighting a fire in your home, be sure your chimney is free of debris or build-up that could contribute to a chimney fire. Similar to electrical hazards, fires must be carefully monitored to ensure safety for your family and your property.
Child Safety
The wonder of holiday decorations can fill any child’s heart with joy, but be sure to take precautions with your decorations during the holiday season. Opt for shatterproof ornaments as opposed to glass, since broken ornaments represent one of the easiest ways for children to be injured during the holidays. Be sure cords, ribbons, and other strangling hazards are properly secured, and limit your child’s access to small decorations or electrical devices that could pose a hazard to them.
Pet Safety
The holidays can be a potentially hazardous time for your family pets, so here are some holiday safety tips to ensure your furry family member enjoys the holiday safely. Secure items that could be a choking hazard such as ribbon and tinsel. Opt for silk poinsettia, holly, and mistletoe, rather than the real ones since each of these plants poses a poisoning risk to both household pets and infants. Lilies are also poisonous, and should be kept out of reach.
Foods are a poisoning risk as well, and during the holidays, the odds of your pet getting table scraps increase tremendously. “People foods” like raisins, grapes, chocolate, garlic, onions and other table scraps can lead to mild or severe illness in dogs, and in some cases, even death. Make sure your favorite animals keep to their own fare during the holidays.
With these holiday precautions, you have everything you need to make the holiday a wondrous and safe time of year for all of your family, friends, and loved ones.