CPSC, or the Consumer Product Safety Commission and UL have released these 12 safety tips to keep homes safe during holidays. No one plans for fires or injuries when planning for the holidays, but ignorance of safety standards and carelessness can lead to severe damage to the home or trips to the emergency room.
Here is what you should be looking out for:
Trees
- When buying live trees, check for freshness. Most importantly it will be green. Another important place to check for freshness is the bottom, which will have sticky resin on it. When you tap it on the ground, it will not lose many needles. The reason for that is, that a fresh tree holds on to its needles and won't shed them easily. They will not break when you bend them between your finger
- Where you place your tree also matters. When you set up your tree at home, make sure it is away from heat sources, such as fireplaces, vents, and radiators. Heating can rapidly dry out live trees, so it is important to monitor water levels daily and keep the tree stand filled with water. Make sure it is not in high traffic areas and does not block doorways to prevent the tree being accidentally knocked over.
- If you buy an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." The "Fire resistant" label does not mean that the tree will not catch fire, but simply means that the tree is more resistant to catching fire.
Decorations
- When decorating a tree in a home with small children, special care should be taken to avoid sharp, weighted, or breakable decorations and ornaments. Avoid ornaments and trimmings that resemble candy canes or other food so that a child is not tempted to eat them. Trimmings with small removable parts should be kept out of the reach of children who could swallow or inhale small pieces
Candles
- Burning candles should be kept within sight. Extinguish all candles before you go to bed, leave the room, or leave the house.
- Place all candles on a stable, heat-resistant surface where kids and pets cannot reach them or knock them over. Place lighted candles away from objects that can catch fire and burn easily. This includes furniture and curtains along with trees, evergreen garlands and wreaths, and other decorations.
Lights
- Check if your holiday lights that have been tested for safety by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, such as UL or Underwriters Laboratories. Make sure that lights for both indoor and outdoor usage meet strict requirements that testing laboratories are able to verify. Look for the UL red holographic label on decorative lights that you find in stores. This label signifies that the product meets safety requirements for indoor as well as outdoor usage. For products meant for indoor use alone, there will be UL's holographic label with the green UL Mark.
- Before you put up your lights, check each set for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. This should be done for old as well new lights. Discard damaged sets. Never use electric lights on a metallic tree.
- Extension cords should be checked to make sure they are rated for the intended use.
- When using lights to decorate your yard or home's exterior, check for labels showing that the lights have been certified for outdoor use. Only plug them into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI)-protected receptacle or a portable GFCI.
Fireplaces
- While "fire salts," can create attractive colored flames when thrown on wood fires, you should use them carefully. These salts contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if swallowed. Keep them away from children.
- Do not burn wrapping papers, or in the fireplace, as a flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.
