Christmas Safety Tips

Christmas means family time during and a much-loved holiday. That is all the more reason that Christmas Safety Tips are extremely important – so that you and your family stay safe while having a memorable time.

Christmas Safety Tips for Decorating at Home

Decorations make the holidays festive but be safe while enjoying them.

• Keep live trees away from heat sources. Make sure you tree is away from heaters and fireplaces.  Live trees are extremely flammable due to sap and needles so keep a fire extinguisher handy.
• Hydrate your tree daily because a dried out tree is a fire hazard.
• Do not put wrapping paper in fireplace. Paper in fireplace can cause a flash fire.
• When hanging decorations and lights work as a team. If you are placing them above normal reach, make sure you use a ladder with someone supporting it to avoid falls.
• Make sure to double check your lights. Replace any with loose connections, frayed wires or broken sockets.
• Avoid damaging electrical cords by using hooks or insulated staples. Avoid hanging them with nails or tacks that may damage the cord.
• Avoid fragile ornaments and if you have some, place them out of reach of children and pets. If possible, use unbreakable ornaments.
• Although poinsettias are festive, they are poisonous when eaten so keep them away from pets and small children.

Christmas Safety Tips for Cooking at Home

Here are some Christmas Safety Tips to minimize your risk of home fires:

• Don’t leave any stove, fire, or grill unattended when there is something on it. Whether you have to meet and greet guests or serve drinks, ensure that you switch off the heat or make sure someone else is keeping an eye on it.
• Don’t wear loose and billowing clothes, including loose and overlong sleeves that can catch fire.
• It is best to deep-fry a huge turkey outdoors in a large pan, after it is properly thawed (if frozen) so that hot oil does not spatter.
• If there is a fire in a pan on top of stove, switch off the flame or heat and cover the pan. Or use a fire extinguisher.
• If something in the oven catches fire, switch the oven off and call the fire department or 911 for help. Leave the house and wait outside till they come and douse the fire.
• Make sure that your exhaust/vents/chimney are all working when you are cooking for many hours as there can be carbon monoxide build-up. Open the windows from time to time to let in fresh air and let the smoke out – This is a Christmas Safety tip that is often forgotten.
• Keep a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen and handy at all time.
• If you have hot grease that you need to throw away, put it in a leak proof can. When the oil is cool, dispose it off in the garbage.
• When going to bed make sure all the fires are extinguished.

Try and follow all of these Christmas Safety Tips.

Christmas Safety Tips for an Empty Home

Christmas Safety Tips are vital not only for your home if you are going elsewhere.

• Leave some lights on so that your home is not a lure for burglars.
• Ensure that your rain gutters are clean so that in the event of heavy rain there is no flooding.
• Lock all your doors and windows securely and make sure there is no ladder around.
• Either stop your newspaper and mail delivery or have someone pick it up while gone.

Christmas Safety Tips When on the Road

If you are traveling for Christmas, here are some Christmas Safety Tips for you:

• Leave well in time taking into account traffic and weather.
• All items, small children, and pets in the car should be secure.
• Make sure that any food that you carry for dinner is either packed when hot or cold in an insulated container to prevent food poisoning.

While Christmas Safety Tips should be followed you should also invest in homeowners insurance and auto insurance from a reputed insurance agency, like Coleman Insurance, that will protect you against financial losses if anything untoward does happen.