Holiday Safety Tips for Keeping Your Employees & Family Safe

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – a time of family, love, and giving. There are so many fun Christmas traditions like exchanging gifts, singing carols, drinking hot chocolate by the fire, and of course, looking at all of the magnificent lights and decorations.

But as fun and carefree as this holiday may seem, decorating can be dangerous if safety precautions aren’t put into place. Here are a few tips for keeping your employees and family safe during the holidays.

Christmas Tree Safety

Most artificial trees are flame retardant, so if that’s your pick of the patch, you’re most likely good to go. Just check the original packaging for verification. Real Christmas trees, on the other hand, are a bit trickier.

If you’re going for a real tree to light up your home/office this season, keep in mind that dryness = a fire hazard. You’ll want to pick a fresh tree that holds moisture and is more resistant to flames. In order to make the best choice, you’ll need to know how to differentiate between a good and bad Christmas tree.

1. Find a tree that is still very green – Needles will turn brown as they dry out.
2. Avoid trees that have lots of needles falling out – If needles fall out easily, by being touched, moved, or worse, just sitting there, the tree is too dry.
3. Check for resin on the trunk – This sticky substance is part of a fresh, healthy tree.

Light Safety

Some of the best decorations at Christmas time are the lights, but even they pose a risk if not properly installed and monitored. Here are a few things to check into as you prepare to deck your halls, or your deck, this holiday season:

1. Check each string for broken bulbs, wires, etc, before putting them on your house/tree – These could spark and start a fire.
2. Make sure you’re using the right lights for outdoor vs. indoor – Not all lights are rated for outdoor use.
3. Make sure to properly secure outdoor lighting – Many weather factors could affect your decorations. Keep everything tied, fastened, and/or taped down (with electrical tape, of course) the way it needs to be.
4. Don’t overload your extension cord or power strip – We’ve all probably been guilty of this at some point, but it’s really unsafe. Check to see how much your extension cord/power strip can handle before plugging in all of your lights.
5. Turn off lights when you’re asleep or out of the house/office – Just like anything else, (running your dryer, oven, stove), you should be close and alert when the lights are plugged in and shining bright.

Fire Safety

There’s nothing better than sitting by a warm fire on a cold winter night, but certainly use precautions, especially with all of your Christmas decor close by. Always check for these things when starting and burning a fire:

1. Make sure there are no needles or other flammable materials in or around the fireplace – This would be a very quick way to catch your house on fire.
2. Keep your flue open – Smoke inhalation is very dangerous and will build up quickly in your house without the flue being open.
3. Use your fireplace screen – The screen is designed to prevent sparks from shooting out of the fireplace and catching something on fire.
4. Make sure the fire has burned down before going to sleep

These are not just recommendations for the holiday season, but anytime your fireplace is in use. There are many household items that are very flammable and house fires, unfortunately, are not uncommon.

Other Risks

There is a multitude of Christmas decorations out there, most of which are flammable. Be sure to keep wreaths, plants, and other greenery away from the fire. Also paper and wood products as well.

For any decorations with an open flame, be sure to keep them away from your tree. Never put candles on, or close to the Christmas tree. And as with the fireplace, do not leave candles burning while you’re away or asleep.

Using artificial snow to decorate can be delightful, especially when you live in an area where snow is uncommon, but be careful not to inhale it into your lungs as it can cause irritation.

Lastly, be sure to talk with your family and/or employees about these safety precautions. Educate them on the best ways to spruce up the office or the living room without creating a potential hazard. It’s also a good idea to form plans for what to do in the event that something bad does happen.

Have fun, Be Safe

Decorating is one of the best parts of Christmas. It brings family, friends, coworkers, and communities together in harmony for the holidays. We witness the beauty and magic, and it changes something inside of us. The workplace becomes lighthearted, the home becomes full, the people become unified. But these wonderful memories can be squandered in a minute by an unfortunate event if we aren’t careful. So please, take these tips into consideration this season as you prepare to decorate your home and/or office. Keep your beloved image of Christmas safe, don’t let it go up in flames.

From Edward’s Law Office