Decorating Safely for the Holidays
Don’t let fire or accident spoil your holiday season. Use these tips to keep your family safe while celebrating all winter long!
The winter holidays are a time for fun, family, and festivities. That often means more cooking, decorating, entertaining and shortcuts. Christmas trees, candles, and holiday lights are responsible for hundreds of fires and accidents each year. Before you deck your halls, make sure you’re following these safety tips.
-Inspect your holiday decorations carefully to make sure there are no loose or frayed wires. Choose those made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant or non-combustible materials.
-Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials, and do not use candles to decorate your Christmas tree.
-Purchase only lights and electrical decorations bearing the name of an independent testing lab, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installation and maintenance
-Do not overload extension cords.
-Always unplug lights before replacing light bulbs or fuses.
-Don’t use clips or nails that puncture your light cords wire insulation.
-Keep children and pets away from light strings and electrical decorations
-Turn off all lights and decorations when you head out for the day or go to bed at night.
-Test your smoke alarms to make sure they are working properly as a backup
-If you have a real tree, keep it moist by watering frequently.
-Candle fires in the home are reported to a U.S. Fire Department every 34 minutes during the holidays. If you are decorating with candles, make sure they are far away from any item that can burn such as furniture, bedding, curtains or other decorations.
Follow these safety tips to ensure Happy Holidays for all!
These tips are designed as general information that may apply to many situations. Please take them and apply them to your specific information.
For more information on Home, Auto, Business, Life or Flood Insurance, contact the specialists at C.H. Edwards, Inc. We are happy to provide you with the information that will best protect your family. www.chedwards.net