Many love the holiday season because it is the time where genuine happiness, love, and enjoyment become abundant in many places. But aside from that, people also face the challenge of the colder weather and unfortunately, accidents sometimes occur that is related to keeping warm during the cold months. Others misuse heaters and electric blankets and even start incidents on warm fireplaces. As a consulting firm that is committed to public safety, Irwin Consulting Services would like you to continue reading this post and learn about important pointers to consider in avoiding dangerous situations.
Sadly, holiday season might bring some sad news to a few households because of common accidents during this time of the year, which include kitchen fires, electrical fires, and fires from flammable objects that were placed too close on heat sources. Be mindful each time you’re cooking, so avoid being distracted. Put a proper schedule on cooking different dishes; don’t do them all at once. Outdoor grills should stay outside, no matter how cold it is, don’t dare to put it inside your house.
Some families prefer having live Christmas trees in their homes because of its lovely green appearance. However, during the holiday season, such trees can become the largest fire hazard in a home. Be advised that it should be watered on a regular basis and ensure that it can absorb water up through its trunk. If you put lights on the tree, make sure that they were labeled for indoor use and have a UL listing. Put the trees on spots that were a distance away from fireplaces and space heaters, and also don’t place them on the path of an exit door. Never use live candles on live trees. Before going to bed, turn off all its lights even on artificial trees as well as every time your family goes outside.
Make sure that your smaller children don’t any access to decorative candles too. Proper electrical wiring on decorative Christmas lights can also help you avoid any grave situations. Hang lights with the use of plastic clips since cases of nails penetrating wiring and causing shorts were sometimes the situation in other households. Know that overloads and faulty wiring could lead to tragedies, so assess each string of wires carefully and make sure that they are all safe from any danger. Be careful on using some extension cords in connecting those lights. Never plug an extension cord into another extension cord because such could lead to voltage drop and overheat. For better protection, use power strips instead that can be used for both indoor and outdoor connections. Unplug indoor lighting from the receptacle if not in use. Other important things to remember include ensuring that smoke alarms in your house are properly working, putting fire extinguishers on easily accessible areas, investing on weather alert radios, and being careful with the use of electric space heaters.
Before using the chimney flue during the holiday season, thoroughly clean it first. Irwin Consulting Services also suggests using a grate or screen in front of the fireplace. Put stockings and other holiday decorations away from a lit fireplace. Organize the gifts in a safe place, not on the front of the fireplace and don’t install a Christmas tree near to it to avoid putting the tree or gifts in danger of fire.
Create a proper fire escape plan and also tell your visitors about it. Never put something that would make it difficult to reach the doors so avoid putting furniture or decorations on its path. Make sure that your gas lines were properly checked to ensure a safe use of heat in your house. Recharge your fire extinguishers too and if you don’t have any, Irwin Consulting Services encourages you to buy one or two. Invest in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors as well. It is preferable to have home space heaters with tip-over switches but remember to put them away from flammable things. Heating devices made for outdoor purposes should remain outside, so never put them inside for indoor heat.
Irwin Consulting Services hopes for a safe and worthwhile holiday season for you and your family.
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