Keep Basic Holiday Safety in Mind This Holiday Season

The holiday season seems to get everyone in the mood to have a good time. Ovens are churning out baked goods and feasts in record time, presents are being wrapped by the bagful, and lights and decorations are being installed in several different locations. Around the holidays, spending time with friends and family is the highlight of several festivities. Nothing can ruin the holidays like a household injury. So before a trip to emergency room deters your holiday cheer try to keep the risks to a minimum. Remember, most tasks can be performed safely with just a little preparation.

When working around that oven keep a pair of dry oven mittens or towels near by at all times. Pans get hot just from sitting on the stove, and often times the handles get just as warm. Remember to support the bottom of heavy pans being removed from the oven. If that turkey is a touch too heavy, ask for help. Perhaps the paramount rule for most households is keeping the kids away from hot surfaces. If an over curious toddler is present in a house, child safety gates should be utilized prior to opening up the oven. These tasks take just a few seconds, but a mishap can be disastrous. Take a few minutes to get it done safely.

Wrapping presents is an activity that gets old quickly. The bigger question is who keeps moving the scissors and tape? Yes, keeping track of items with sharp edges is a must during wrapping season. Scissors that are hidden under layers of wrapping paper cuts all too often fingers, and those serrated edges on the tape dispensers can be a tad painful as well. Even less appealing is having sharp items sudden fall off a table or workstation unexpected. Try to keep everything in one place, and remember to use the right tool for the job. Those razor blades make quick work of trimming wrapping paper, but can also make a mess should the wrong thing get cut. Take the time to locate the tools and instruments needed to get the job done correctly.

One area where holiday safety should be higher on the priority list is decorating. No one expects a member of the family to turn into a master electrician overnight, but some essence of common sense in necessary when stringing massive amounts of light sets together. Extension cords are quite handy for displaying lights, just remember to use one rated for the job at hand. Should a ladder be required to hang any type of decorations, take the time to inspect the ladder before climbing to the top step. Basic ladder safety should be followed at all times. Before leaning way out to hang that wreath, take the five minutes and climb down to reposition the ladder. Also remember to check the surface the ladder will be resting on, that ground may support the ladder but it needs to support the weight of the climber plus the decoration. Falling off a ladder is a surefire way to ruin the holiday atmosphere, try to slow down and take the time needed to decorate safely.

Basic safety around the house consists of taking the necessary time to assess the situation. If something does not quite feel right, there is a good chance it is not. The holidays are a great time to feel rushed, but taking a few minutes to think about a task before starting is a great way to keep everyone safe and sound during these treasured times. Eliminating all hazards may be impossible, but cutting out the obvious ones can save a lot of unnecessary headaches over the holiday season.

sources:

personal experience