“Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, I hope you don’t fall on me”
As the Holiday Season approaches – people across the United States (and the globe) will be putting up holiday decorations to express the joy of the season – or to show off to their neighbors.
And while the decorations may be impressive, putting them up is not always an easy task.
Stepping on broken ornaments, falling off ladders, and getting shocked when plugging in the Christmas Tree lights may be funny in holiday movies such as “Home Alone”, but these and similar mishaps happen to thousands of people every year. And unfortunately in 2012, there were 15,000 holiday decorating related injuries during the months of November and December! That doesn’t even involve taking down the decorations – which can arguably be equally dangerous!
Here are some tips to keep you safe in your home, and away from the hospital:
- Always place the ladder on firm and level ground, having one person at the bottom to stabilize the ladder. Keep ladders away from doors that might open into it – knocking it over.
- Water the Christmas tree frequently and keep it away from heat sources (fireplaces and radiators) that may dry it out making it a fire hazard.
- Candles should always be burned within sight and kept on a stable, heat-resistant surface.
- Do not burn wrapping paper in the fireplace as it may cause flash fires
- Double-check your lights for safety: replace lights with frayed wires, broken sockets, and loose connections
If an accident does happen and you have a serious injury, please call 911 or go to the Emergency Room.
For those less serious injuries – or tracking your healing while at home with your loved ones – CaptureProof is committed to helping you get back to your best health. We hope you use CaptureProof for your health tracking needs so you can see-and-know and be merry!
Stay Safe and Happy Decorating!