Helpful Home Holiday Safety Tips

 

Helpful Home Holiday Safety Tips       The Christmas Holidays are a time of celebration. That usually means cooking, baking, decorating and entertaining. The holidays can also be a time of increased risk for home fires and accidents in the home. You can ensure that your holidays will be safe and more enjoyable by following a few safety practices.   Christmas Decorating and Lighting Use caution with decorations and use only those labled flame-resistant, flame retardant or non-combustible. Do not use candles near combustibles or on christmas trees. Never use damaged lights or extension cords. Never overload extension cords Keep children and pets away from electrical decorations. Never leave lights burning when away from home and turns lights out before going to bed. Do not burn exterior lights when raining. Christmas Entertaining   Never leave cooking unattended. Take extra precautions when using fireplaces and make sure hot cinders cannot pop out onto decorations or flooring. If you allow smoking in your home make sure your guests are careful with lit cigars and cigarettes and empty ash trays frequently out doors and not in the trach with combustible items. Test all smoke alarms and install fresh batteries. Don't allow guests that have had too much to drink drive home. Make sure they have a designated driver or be prepared to drive them home or spend the night. Christmas Trees Only buy fire resistant artificial trees Check for freshness when buying real trees. Cut a few inches off of the trunk of a real tree to allow for better water absorption. Make sure the reservoir for a real tree is always full.   Lights Do not use electric lights on metallic trees and do not use metallic tensil on tree with electric lights. Make sure that lights being used outdoors are rated for outdoor use. Plug outdoor lights into GFCI protected receptacles only.   Fireplaces Make sure all combustibles are removed from near the fireplace before lighting. Do not burn newspapers or wrapping paper in the fireplace. Never leave a fireplace unattended.   Children and Pets Be careful with ribbons and decorations as they can be choking hazards for small children. Keep all decorations at least 6" above a childs reach. Remember Poinsettias can be poisonous to pets and children. Keep children away from fireplaces and space heaters. Store scissors away from childrens reach.   Security Remember that thieves are more active during the holiday season, so take precautions againts burglaries. Have a friend watch your home when you are away. Have a wonderful Holiday and use these Helpful Holiday Home Safety Tips   David DiRienzo is a premier Home Inspector providing Virginia State Certified inspections in Richmond, Midlothian, Chesterfield, Chester, Henrico, Mechanicsville, Colonial Heights, Petersburg, Hopewell, Ashland, Prince George, Dinwiddie, Farmville, Virginia and all of central and southside Virginia.     http://www.HouseProbe.com http://www.HouseProbeInspections.com