Christmas Safety Tips

During the Christmas season there seems to be a huge increase in the number of accidents that happen. These range from a person being injured at their home, to causing a fire in their home. These are things that can easily be avoided, if the person keeps in mind a few tips that are meant to help them prepare for the worse to avoid it. Christmas is full of electrical components since most everyone runs indoor and outdoor lights, which needs to be done with caution. In addition, the Christmas tree and everything that is done during this time, can lead to an injury.

Safety Tips with your Christmas Tree

With a Christmas tree, you need to keep the following safety tips into mind:

• If you are using a real tree be sure that this tree stays watered as the drier the tree is the more likely it is to catch fire.
• Never put your tree near a heating element or fire as this can increase the chances of the tree catching fire, whether it is real or artificial.
• When decorating your tree be sure that if you have to stand on a ladder that you are abiding by the proper ladder safety rules to ensure that you do not fall.
• Only use indoor lights on your Christmas tree as these can greatly reduce the chances of the tree catching fire since they are proven to work on the indoors since they do not get as hot as outdoor lights.
• Always be sure that you turn your lights off the tree when you leave home or when you go to bed to minimize the potentials of a fire.

Safety Tips for Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting is one of those things that several people look forward to each year when Christmas rolls around. With this being said, there are several accidents that occur each year due to a person not following tips while performing outdoor lighting:

• If you are using a ladder to hang outdoor lighting, you need to ensure that you are following all the safety ladder tips that you know.
• Only use lights that are designated for outdoor use as these are lights that are going to stand up to the conditions of the weather much better.
• Check the strands of lights you are using before you put them up to ensure that they are not already damaged from the last years use.
• Make sure that you are using an appropriate extension cord if needed while hanging these lights. You will want one that is rated for outdoor use.

Tips for After Christmas

After Christmas has come and gone, you need to put up everything that you have used during the season. There are several safety tips that you are going to want to keep in mind to ensure that you are making things easier for next year and that you are being as safe as possible:

• Start looking at your lights to inspect for damage and get rid of those who are not going to be fit to use for the next year. As this can save you time next year.
• Be sure that you are packing these strings of lights properly as packing these wrong can mean that the wires break to the point that they are not fit to use.
• Put these lights in a plastic box to ensure that they are not damaged while in storage.

Now that you know what you should do with your lights and your tree during this Christmas season, you need to realize just what types of dangers you are protecting yourself from when you use these tips. For one, you are going to find that the number of fires that occur each year to the improper use of lights and tress is astounding. With just a few tips a person can avoid their entire house burning down along with everything that they own. Secondly, many slips and falls occur each year as people are putting up their Christmas tree and lights, these slips and falls can result in broken and fractured bones as well as a few trips to the doctor. By taking the necessary precautionary steps you can ensure that you are not one of those people who becomes a statistic every year.

Keep in mind that Christmas comes with a lot of standing, stepping up, climbing and the like. You should always keep in mind that you should never use anything metal to attach your Christmas lights to anything as this can encourage an electrical shock, as well as remember that when climbing, standing or stepping up, you need to ensure that the ground is level. Some common tips to help ensure your safety is:

• Wear appropriate clothing while outside and putting up lights, if it is cold you need to ensure that you wear warm clothing to avoid getting sick or worse, to avoid hypothermia.
• Keep your electric tips in mind as you are dealing with tons of electrical components – Always follow the recommendations from the manufacturer as this is the only way to ensure that you do not cause a problem.
• If you ever question anything, contact a professional on how to proceed.

Christmas is a joyful time, you do not want to take away from this joy by burning your house down, electrocuting yourself, or breaking bones. Though the lights and trees of this time of year are beautiful to see, it is important that you do not hurt yourself in the process. No one wants to spend their Christmas season dealing with someone who is in and out of the emergency room, while also being in a cast for the entire season. Nor, does anyone want to be this person who is hurt and achy during the holidays. If you follow these tips as a guide to know what to do and what to avoid, then you should be fine, and have a home that is truly decorated for the season.