Holiday Safety Tips for Homeowners
‘Tis the season for holiday get-togethers and family gatherings—but for many Americans, it is also a season in which accidents and injuries are alarmingly common. Indeed, many Americans are sent to the Emergency Room each and every year, due to injuries sustained by haphazard holiday décor. For homeowners who are going to have friends or family members spending time in their residence, now is the ideal time to review a few safety tips, and to ensure that your home is as accident-proof as possible!
- Are you going to have any small children in your home—whether your own kids, your grandkids, or some nieces and nephews? If so, it is important to make sure these youngsters do not injure themselves around your Christmas tree. Make sure there are no sharp, metallic, or fragile glass ornaments hanging from low branches. Also trim any branches that stick out so far that they could poke a little tyke in the face or the eye.
- Now is also a good time to make sure your electrical situation is safe. Check lights for any frayed wires, and make sure you are not overloading any of your outlets.
- Make sure your Christmas tree is not a fire hazard! If you have it placed somewhere near a heat vent or a fireplace, it might be smart to relocate it.
- For that matter, it is definitely worth a few minutes of your time to double check on your smoke alarms and make sure they all have batteries.
- Remember that a lot of festive plant life—such as holly berries, poinsettias, and so on—can be very dangerous to kids, should they be ingested. Try to position these plants somewhere out of reach.
Finally, remember that not all holiday accidents occur in the home. The holidays typically see their share of dangerous drivers. If going on any kind of family outing, make sure everyone is using a seatbelt.