Potential Hazards at Home this Holiday Season

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission states that almost 13,000 Americans rush to the emergency room due to holiday-related injuries every year.  That’s something we’re trying to cut back on.  Here are some common holiday threats that we feel you can avoid pretty easily.  These warning signs will give you a heads up, hopefully before anymore fall victim to the dangers of the holiday season.  We’re not trying to be a kill-joy, we just want you to be safe at home this year! 

• Make sure the holiday “spirits” stay in the right hands.  In many cases, the holidays mean a house full of people having a great time together.  While this alone is by no means a hazard, oftentimes adults will begin drinking an alcoholic beverage only to leave the room and the drink unattended.  If children get their hands on these drinks, they have a tendency to imitate adults.  If you have little ones, warn the adults in your home, and be sure to clean up what they leave behind.

• Most people enjoy a having a fire during the holidays to help warm the house.  While this is sure to help everyone get in a merry mood, fire poses obvious threats in the house too.  Before lighting up a fire for the first time, make sure your fireplace was properly cleaned and the vent was opened up for smoke to rise up out the chimney.  Once your fireplace is safe to start a fire, be sure to keep other flammables away from it.  Christmas trees are a huge cause of house fires around the holidays, so set them up a safe distant apart.  Also, many like to feed wrapping paper to the fire as their gifts are opened.  Most wrapping paper is not safe to throw in the flames because it creates a sparking hazard.

• From fire to ice - At least in the northern parts of the U.S., you’re bound to find yourself shoveling snow at some point every winter.  When doing so, there are definite steps you should take to avoid getting injured in the process.  Shovel snow with your back straight and your knees bent.  Also, don’t be afraid to take breaks in between shoveling if you’re not typically very active.

• Over 500,000 people are injured every year from falling off ladders.  If you're hanging holiday lights up high this year, it’s not safe to do it alone.  Finding a partner to help goes a long way to ensure your safety.  Make sure your ladder is level, don't overreach, and don't ascend the ladder with your hands full.  Also, as ladder warning labels will tell you, do not step on the top two steps.

• The Christmas lights you use can also pose a fire risk.  Make sure you only use lights that are marked with a “UL” on the package, which means they’ve been inspected for durability and safety.  Other unmarked packages that you may find at flea markets or small vendors can be dangerous to use or leave unattended.  Also, make sure you never use indoor lights outside your house.  These are obviously not safe for outdoor weather conditions.

• We’re not only looking out for other people this year.  If you plan to bake any chocolate flavored goods at home this holiday, don’t leave them at a pet-height.  I’m sure you’ve all heard that dogs can’t have chocolate, but you may not know why.  Theobromine is a compound found in chocolate that is toxic to dogs but not humans.  If your canine pal does ingest some chocolate the symptoms can range from simply throwing up to death.  The major factors here include the breed, size, weight, as well as the specific type of chocolate.

So if you find yourself taking part in these activities, don’t stress, just take proper precautions and you’ve got nothing to worry about.  Happy holidays from the NDA Team.  Be safe and enjoy!