It's the holiday season and whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah (Channukah) or other holiday, here are a few common sense safety tips to help keep you and your family safe...
Decorating
- Never use lighted candles near trees, boughs, curtains/drapes, or with any potentially flammable item.
- Wear gloves while decorating with spun glass “angel hair.”
- You can substitute non-flammable cotton for "angel hair"
- When displaying a tree, cut off about two inches off the trunk and put the tree in a sturdy, water-holding stand.
- Keep the tree stand filled with water so the tree does not dry out quickly.
- Stand your tree away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources.
- Avoid placing breakable tree ornaments or ones with small, detachable parts on lower branches where small children or pets can reach them.
- If you use an artificial tree, choose one that is tested and labeled as fire resistant.
- Only use indoor lights indoors (and outdoor lights only outdoors).
- Use no more than three light sets on any one extension cord. Extension cords should be placed against the wall to avoid tripping hazards, but do not run cords under rugs, around furniture legs or across doorways.
- Turn off all lights on trees and decorations when you go to bed or leave the house.
- Unplug extension cords when not in use.
Ladder Safety
- When putting up holiday decorations, always use the proper step stool or ladder to reach high places.
- Don’t stand on chairs, desks or other furniture.
- If you have to use a step ladder near a doorway, lock or barricade the door and post signs so no one will open it and knock you off the ladder.
- A straight or extension ladder should be placed one foot away from the surface it rests against for every four feet of ladder height.
- When you climb, always face the ladder and grip the rungs to climb – not the side rails.
- Always keep three points of contact on the ladder whether two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand.
- When climbing, keep your hips between the side rails and do not lean too far or overreach. Reposition the ladder closer to the work instead.
- Use ladders with slip-resistant feet and wear clean, dry and slip-resistant shoes when climbing a ladder.
- When using ladders outdoors, get down immediately if high winds, rain, snow or other inclement weather begins.
Have a merry, fun and safe Christmas!
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