From candles to candy and trees to toys, nearly every joyful holiday tradition also carries the potential for accidents and injuries. Even just the cold winter weather can be dangerous for the pipes in your home.
Safety experts say a bit of preparation can help prevent many common holiday mishaps. In fact, recent research indicates the worst holiday disasters occur before the big day, not in the cleanup phase. See these tips from Nationwide to help your family be safe.
Avoiding decorating disasters
Lights, outside and in, are one of the hallmarks of Christmas. But lights, especially on fresh Christmas trees, can spark fires.
National Fire Protection Association research indicates 43 percent of falls each year from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 are from ladders, and another 13 percent are from roofs. Meanwhile, holiday lights are the culprit in 150 house fires annually.
Christmas trees can catch fire even if they’re just near an open flame, sparking electrical lights, or overheated decorations, says Amy Artuso, the National Safety Council’s community and home safety specialist.
Snuff out candle dangers
“Candles are a huge part of Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa,” says Artuso. It’s easy to overlook lit candles in the bustle of getting to and from events. “Never leave home with candles lit,” says Artuso.
Statistics reinforce her concern: The National Fire Protection Association reports that 50 percent more candle fires occur in December, and fire risk more than doubles when candles are used as part of decorative arrangements. Unattended candles were a factor in nearly 20 percent of home candle fires.
Also, flameless candles should be turned off, especially when used in arrangements of greens and paper decorations. “You don’t know how hot LED candles will get,” Artuso points out.
Little children, big risks
Visitors, decorations and new toys introduce danger into typically safe houses.
For instance, holiday candy is everywhere. So it’s understandable that a toddler might swallow the bright blue pills he found in a relative’s purse under the dining table.
To view tips on how to avoid these types of disasters and to view even MORE helpful tips from Nationwide Insurance, go to
https://bit.ly/2fZyQWs.
Posted By: Reginald Culpepper
Saturday, December 14th 2019 at 2:59PM
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