Holiday Home Safety Tips

Holiday Home Safety Tips

The holidays are a wonderful time full of food, family get-togethers and traditions, but the holidays can also pose many safety concerns, so it’s best to be cautious. From lighting candles to hanging Christmas lights, there are plenty of safety hazards that can occur

Here’s some quick reminders!

Inspect Lights
Carefully look at your holiday light strings every year, and be sure to throw away any cracked lamp holders, frayed cords or loose connections. When you replace bulbs, you need to unplug the lights and match the voltage and wattage to the original bulb.

Buy a Fresh Tree
If you buy a live Christmas tree for your home, try to purchase a fresh tree since they are more fire resistant. Always keep your tree watered, and keep open flames away from it.

Lights Out
When you leave your house or go to sleep, make sure to turn off your holiday lights.

Timed Lights
Use a certified CSA International outdoor timer to switch on and off your holiday lights. Your lights should be turned on after 7:00 p.m. to avoid the electricity “rush hour.”

Check for Certification
Your holiday lights, extension cords, spotlights, carbon monoxide alarms, gas appliances and electrical decorations should be certified by an accredited certification organization like CSA International, UL or ELT to make sure they comply with safety standards and performance. Look for the certification mark on the product package to ensure you are making a safe purchase.

Don’t Connect Extension Cords
You should never connect two or more extension cords together. Only use a single cord that is long enough to reach to the outlet you need without stretching.

Keep Electrical Connectors Off the Ground
If you are hanging lights outside, keep electrical connectors off the ground and away from metal gutters. Also use insulated tape or plastic clips to keep lights secure.

Choose the Right Ladder
Make sure you select the right ladder size for the job if you are putting up lights on your house. Check for a certification mark to make sure the ladder complies with safety standards.

Use Care Decorating Near Fireplaces

Be very careful as you decorated around your fireplace. The heat alone can start those decorations on fire. Don’t leave the house and leave a fire unattended. Keep live trees, that dry out, well back from the fireplace. Even gas fireplaces put out a lot of heat.

Check Your Furnace
Prevent CO hazards in your home by hiring a professional heating contractor to do a maintenance checkup of your furnace and ventilation system. You will want to clean or replace your furnace filter often during the winter months.

Be very careful as you decorated around your fireplace. The heat alone can start those decorations on fire. Don’t leave the house and leave a fire unattended. Keep live trees, that dry out well back from the fireplace. Even gas fireplaces put out a lot of heat.