Now that Thanksgiving is over, many people are breaking out their holiday decorations and readying their houses for the quickly approaching holidays. From trees, to light shows, to inflatable lawn ornaments, the sky’s the limit when it comes to decking out your home for the holidays.
Follow these tips to ensure the safety of yourself and your family:
- Keep small objects like ornaments, staples, and tree trimmings out of reach of children and pets. These can pose a choking hazard.
- Certain holiday plants like mistletoe, holly berries and amaryllis can be toxic. Keep them out of reach of children and pets. Have your local poison control hotline number stored in your phone.
- Never use candles on a tree, and keep candles away from anything flammable. Do not leave lit candles unattended.
- Keep a working fire extinguisher in your house for emergencies and check that fire alarms are in working order.
- Do not overload power strips. Inspect the power strip to make sure that it is in good working order prior to using it. Power strips should have a UL (Underwriters Laboratory) label.
- Turn off the tree and unplug the power cord when it is not in use.
- No more than three strands of lights should be plugged into any one power strip. LED lights are cooler and use less electricity than traditional lights, and thus are safer.
- Keep the tree well watered. Trees that are not watered dry out and become fire hazards. Keep the tree away from heat sources like a fireplace or vents.
- Always exercise caution when using a ladder. Make sure that the ladder is stable, and ask someone to hold the ladder and keep an eye on you when you are using the ladder.
- Only outdoor lights should be used outdoors. Make sure that they are securely fastened without being damaged, and that the power supply is kept away from water. Outdoor decorations should be plugged into a GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter).
If you follow these steps, you can help ensure that you and your family have a safe holiday season.If you or a loved one is injured as a result of insufficient home safety, a Long Island Personal Injury Attorney from The Odierno Law Firm, P.C. can help.
Lee J. Odierno is the managing partner of Odienero Law’s no-fault department. Find out more about Lee on his profile page, or visit any of his social media profiles below: