5 Ways to Avoid Holiday Hazards

The holidays are a wonderful time of the year. Happiness and cheer is in the air and decorations abound. While making sure you are safely connecting all of the electrical decorations, you will also want to make sure a few other things are safely operating during this festive season. Since most house fires and other accidents happen during the holidays, it may take a little planning and some proactive decision-making on your part to make sure you and your family have a safe and happy holiday. Here are a few ways to make your holiday safer.

Inspect and determine compatibility of all decorations and accessories thoroughly.

Faulty wiring and overloading extension cords and outlets are a major contributor to holiday fires. Take these few things into consideration before hanging and lighting your decorations.

• Inspect all the lights when you take them out of storage. Replace bulbs and fuses before plugging them in and make sure you are using the correct replacement bulbs and fuses.
• Make sure you are using the correct inside or outside lights. Using inside lights outside can pose a serious fire hazard if they get wet.
• Don’t overload the extension cords. You can check an extension cord to see how much wattage it can handle. Too many decorations plugged into it can cause it to overheat and spark a fire.
• Be careful not to attach too many light strands together. They are only designed to be connected to a certain wattage to operate safely and if you string too many together, it can cause a hazardous situation.

Get the right tree.

Whether you are using a real tree or an artificial one, there are a few things to look out for to avoid any hazards. An overly-dry and brittle real tree and an artificial tree that isn’t flame retardant can both be serious fire hazards if one of the decorations is giving off too much heat or sparks.

If you are buying a real tree, be sure to check the needles to make certain that they are soft. If they are falling off or appear overly dry, the tree has likely been cut for too long and cannot be re-hydrated by keeping water in the base. After you have picked the perfect tree, make sure to get a fresh cut off the bottom and get it set up with water in its stand as soon as you get it home. You will need to add water daily to make sure the tree doesn’t dry up before the season is over.

Never leave candles unattended.

Candles are a traditional embellishment to holiday decorating. As long as they are monitored, they can be enjoyed all season long. However, many holiday fires occur because of an unattended candle. Never leave a room with a candle lit and never leave them burning overnight.

Keep an eye on the stove.

Along with all the holiday festivities comes a lot of cooking. Your kitchen may be at cooking capacity, at times, and bustling with activity. And, with the house being so busy, it’s easy to forget about something on the stove or in the oven. Unfortunately, this is how a lot of fires and other kitchen accidents can happen during the holidays.

Make sure all your heating sources are up to par.

Whether it be your furnace, fireplace, or space heater, you’ll want to make sure your heating sources are in top-notch shape for the winter season. Fall is a great time to have your furnace inspected including a carbon monoxide check. It’s always a good idea to be proactive with your main source of heating for your home. Make sure your fireplace flue is cleaned on an annual basis and before its first use every year. If you use space heaters, you’ll want to make sure they are operational and being used according to all of the manufacturers recommendations. Your heating sources pose a huge risk of causing a holiday hazard if they aren’t operating effectively.

As much fun as the holiday season is, it is certainly not the time of year to cut corners when it comes to safety. While you are busily decorating, cooking, and entertaining, make sure you have set your festivities up for success. All too often, hazards can occur during the holidays because of something that was easily avoidable had someone taken the time to check it for safety.

Make sure all your fire and safety equipment is certified and inspected.

Your fire protection equipment is your first line of defense and can give you enough time to either put the fire out or get your family safely out of the house. Equipment including your smoke alarms and fire extinguishers should be tested, maintained and inspected yearly to keep them in working condition.

Fire Ranger provides fire protection services covering all aspects of the fire safety industry. From extinguishers to fire retardant, Fire Ranger does it all. Give us a call today!

A Happy Holiday is a safe one!

 

Caryl Anne Crowne is a contributing writer and media specialist for Mr. Electric. She often produces content for a variety of electrical blogs.