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In bustle of season, keep safety in mind SAFETY TIPS

Don't let a fire, fall or other emergency ruin your holidays

Date published: 11/30/2008

BY DONYA CURRIE

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

The hectic pace of the holiday season can increase the risk of certain types of injury, so take care while you're decking the halls.

"When you think about the holidays and maybe having some time off at home and being with people you love, and then you picture a visit to the emergency room in the midst of all that bliss, it just doesn't fit with the story," said Meri-K Appy, president of the Washington-based Home Safety Council.

It's easy to understand why accidents during the holiday season are common, Appy said.

"Routines are broken, people tend to be sort of burning the candle at both ends, literally," Appy said. "That means they may be more fatigued than usual, distracted and under stress."

Also: "Folks may have some holiday cheer, and that obviously can affect having your wits about you."

The five leading causes of home-injury deaths nationwide are fires, falls, poisonings, choking/suffocation and drowning.

Falls from ladders, for example, result in 150,000 emergency-room visits yearly--many of them at a time when people are cleaning out gutters in anticipation of visitors or stringing holiday lights.

Being away from home in an unfamiliar environment can raise the risk for falling, especially for the very young and the elderly.

At holiday time, candles are a huge fire hazard, as are dried-out Christmas trees and frayed wires on old strings of lights. And simply being excited and gulping down food at holiday meals raises the risk of choking.

"Good manners are actually protective, in a way," Appy said. "You tend to be seated, eating small bites."

Chuck Thompson, deputy fire marshal with the Stafford County Fire and Rescue Department, said sometimes common sense goes out the window when the weather turns cold. At least two local fires are caused each year by improperly storing fireplace ashes, perhaps in a plastic bucket on the back deck, he said.

"Fireplace ashes remain hot for days," Thompson said. "You put them in a metal can and put them in the backyard, because if you don't, you burn the back of your house off."

Lock up cleaning supplies and other toxic materials to protect young children. Never leave an open flame unattended. Water your Christmas tree regularly. "A dry Christmas tree takes less than 60 seconds to go up in smoke," said Stafford County Deputy Fire Marshall Chuck Thompson. Check smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors to make sure they're working well. Set your hot-water heater at 120 degrees or on the medium setting to prevent scald burns. See homesafetycouncil.org for more safety tips.

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Date published: 11/30/2008