As the weather gets colder in the fall, the holiday season warms up. Decorating your home for Halloween, Christmas, Hanukkah or any other occasion you might celebrate is a great way to get in the spirit of things. But it’s crucial take the right precautions to avoid accidents or other incidents that might require a personal injury lawyer.
Check out these tips to keep your decorations festive without sacrificing safety.
Keep Holiday Decorations Safe From Fires
Candles and hanging lights are commonly used to decorate for both Halloween and Christmas. While they add warmth and beauty to both festive and spooky scenes, it’s important to remember that candles and lights are also potential fire hazards!
Whether the vibe you’re going for is eerie or jolly, be sure to keep candles in sturdy, fireproof holders, away from anything flammable, and never leave them unattended – especially in places where they are more likely to fall, like windows.
If possible, avoid candles altogether and opt for safer alternatives like battery-operated lights to illuminate your decorations. Electric candles illuminate Halloween jack-o-lanterns and add cheer to your home’s windows during the winter holidays without as much risk of starting a house fire.
When it comes to hanging lights outside your house, always be sure to inspect them before you get started. Frayed wires or damaged sockets are fire hazards, so make sure to check them. Also, double check the lights you are hanging outside are made to be outside.
Another good habit to mitigate risk is setting up timers or smart plugs for your lights to better control when they’re on and off.
The Christmas tree is the star of the show for many Americans in December. Whether it’s a real one or an artificial Christmas tree, make sure it’s secured tightly in the tree holder so it can’t topple onto curious pets or kids. Live Christmas trees are also major fire hazards, so ensure they’re watered properly and don’t get one that’s too big for your home. If you’re opting for an artificial tree, double check it has a fire-resistant label.
Be Careful While Hanging Decorations
Leading up to Halloween, plastic cobwebs and scary figures hang from houses, and 12-foot skeletons stand in the yard. After Thanksgiving, it seems like Christmas lights are on every other house. The last place you want to spend the holidays is the emergency room so take care when climbing ladders and setting up decorations.
Watch the ladder. Decorating means a lot of time spent on a ladder or a roof. Sometimes this can be in icy, slick situations. The ladder should be stable, and your shoes need to have good tread. Most importantly, don’t use a ladder alone! Having someone stand on the bottom rung makes the ladder more stable and ensures you have an extra set of eyes watching out for safety risks.
Prevent falls. Pay attention to the placement of your decorations. Secure small parts or potential choking hazards out of reach of small children and keep pathways clear to prevent trips and falls.
More Holiday Safety Tips
- Costume Safety Matters. Halloween costumes and holiday outfits should always be flame-resistant – for adults and kids alike! It’s also a good idea to avoid long, flowing fabric that poses a tripping hazard. But costume choice is only part of the solution here; it’s important to teach your children to steer clear of open flames, candles, and other potential dangers while trick-or-treating.
- Keep Your Furry Friends Safe! Wild animals and neighborhood pets alike can get trapped in Halloween decorations with loops and holes, like those popular spiderwebs! Dangling Christmas lights include the same risks. Hanging decorations can look like a tasty snack to unsuspecting pets and pose a risk for illness or injury, so keep them out of reach. During Christmas time watch your pets around the Christmas Tree water as well, it is toxic to dogs and cats.
- Auld Lang Syne. New Year’s Eve celebrations means getting people together, having a good time and celebrating the start of a new year with balloons, streamers and confetti. But when you cover the ground in paper and plastic, it increases the odds of a slip. The other problem is that pets and small children have choking hazards all around them before things are cleaned up. Be cautious and make sure to pick up!
Keches Law Group Can Help
No matter the holiday, if you’re setting up decorations, accidents happen. If negligence is involved, it’s time to consider legal action. Here’s what you need to know:
If you or someone you care about gets hurt during holiday decorating and it’s due to negligence, contact our personal injury lawyers at Keches Law. They have the experience and skills necessary to fill you in on the options and guide you through the process no matter what you choose.
6 Fire Safety Tips You Need to Know
