Staying Safe This Holiday Season

11/29/2017 (Permalink)

Make sure that you are spreading these safety tips amongst your friends and family. On behalf of SERVPRO, happy holidays to all!

When the holiday season rolls around every year, people are often distracted with decorating, party planning, and gift giving. While November and December are certainly the months for giving holiday cheer more attention, keeping safety in the forefront of your mind is absolutely necessary. From distracted drivers to holiday decorations accidents, far too many injuries occur during this time of the year. In fact, thousands of emergency room visits occur every year during the holiday months, accounting for things like back strains, falls, and lacerations. While rare, around 200 tree-related fires occur each year, causing property damage and fatalities across the country.

Keeping your home a safe and happy place during the 2017 holiday season is imperative. Decorations like candles, trees, ornaments, and lights are all potential hazards to your home’s safety. Keep these tips in mind while making decorating your home this year:

• Multiple extension cords should never be strung together
• Check your smoke alarms for proper functioning
• If you have a live Christmas tree, be sure to water it each day
• Never run your extension cords under carpeting, furniture, or rugs
• Candles should be placed at a safe distance from anything flammable, we recommend at least 3 feet
• Check the labels on all outdoor decorations to ensure they were designed for outside use
• Make sure that no decorations are in heavily trafficked areas in your home to avoid any slip and fall accidents
• Throw away any light strings that have pinched or frayed cords
• Use ladders carefully and properly, ideally with a person there to spot
• Be extra careful while cooking, as kitchen fires are much more likely during the holiday season

Holiday cheer is contagious, so make sure that you are spreading these safety tips amongst your friends and family. In doing so, you will ensure that your loved ones are able to safely enjoy all that the holiday season has to offer. On behalf of SERVPRO, happy holidays to all!