12 Holiday Safety Tips For Your Home

Holiday Safety Tips 

The holidays are a popular time of year, being a favourite for many people. The things that come to mind when thinking about the holidays are spending time with those closest to you, having large meals, and enjoying many fun winter activities. However, while these things can create some terrific memories, they also come with some risks you might not think about. Many activities we take for granted can cause an incident that could dampen the festivities and turn a great day into a bad memory. However, following our holiday safety tips can lower the chances of something going wrong, helping keep your home insurance claims history clean. 

1. Set Up Decorations Safely 

While you are encouraged to decorate as creatively as possible, putting certain items in certain places can create a safety risk. Here are some bits of advice that make up this holiday safety tip and ensure you don't hurt yourself while making your place as festive as possible: 

• Keep in mind ladder safety. Always have someone spot you. Never go to the top step. Ensure the ladder is on a flat surface, it locks, and it is not damaged. 
• Be careful with extension cords, as they can be a trip hazard if used recklessly. 
• Flammable materials should be kept away from fireplaces or other heat sources. 
• If you are decorating outside, do so only in good weather. If it is too cold, too windy, or there is precipitation, leave decorating outside for a later day.  
• Be sure that inflatables are anchored down. 
• Never stretch to place a decoration.  
• Avoid decorations with inherent dangers, such as sharp edges.  
• Children should also only help set up simple decorations. 
• Avoid having too many decorations near entrances, exits or other easily cramped areas. 
• Never use broken decorations. 
• Always follow any special instructions that each decoration comes with. 

Please note that this is not a complete list of decorating-related holiday safety tips. Please remember to be careful not to put yourself or anyone in your family in danger just to make your place festive. 

2. Care For Your Real Holiday Tree 

Nothing beats the beauty of having a real tree decorated in your living room for a handful of weeks. One thing to keep in mind, though, is a tree is still alive and needs proper care. One of the best holiday safety tips is to take good care of your tree by doing the following: 

• If you live in an apartment, townhouse, condo, or similar living arrangement, ensure that a living tree does not violate any rules you must follow. 
• Choose a fresh tree with green needles. This shows the tree is still moist and healthy, lowering the risk of a fire. 
• Keep it away from heaters, fireplaces, and other sources of heat. 
• Put the tree in a large, sturdy stand to avoid having it fall over. 
• Make a small cut on the bottom of the tree so that the tree can absorb water. 
• Place water in the tree's stand, and refill the water every day, or when it gets too low. 
• Keep in mind the tree size compared to the room it will be in.  
• Remember to dispose of your tree safely. Many municipalities can collect your tree and dispose of it for you, so check your local municipality’s website for information on this. There are also some ways that your tree could be recycled, such as composting. 

This is not an exhaustive list of tree-related holiday safety tips. While a tree can be a beautiful addition to any home over the holidays, you should be careful when dealing with one. Please keep safety in mind when you are dealing with a real tree. 

3. Be Cautious With Holiday Lights 

Even though lights literally brighten up the holidays, there are plenty of ways they can cause an accident. They’re a fire hazard, and the long strings they’re on can cause someone to trip. You can minimize the chances of an accident by doing the following: 

• Pay attention to labels. Indoor lights won’t start a fire when used on a tree, while outdoor lights can withstand harsh weather. Use each light for its intended purpose only. 
• Don't plug too many lights into the same outlet. 
• Replace any lights or light strings that are damaged. 
• Avoid having cords too close to the ground. 
• Turn off all lights when not in the room. 
• Never use staples, nails, or similar items to keep cords in place. 
• Consider using more energy-efficient LED lights. 
• Ensure you don't connect lights in a way that creates more wattage than your circuits can handle. 

Even though lights are beautiful, they are dangerous when used recklessly. Be careful when using holiday lights to ensure that you and your family remain safe. 

4. Check Smoke Alarms And Fire Extinguishers 

One of the most important home fire safety tips is to ensure that your fire alarms and fire extinguishers work. This remains true during the holidays. A good holiday safety tip would be to check your smoke alarms before the holidays, and if they no longer work or are even showing signs of slowing down, it's best to replace them. Same with carbon monoxide detectors. Ensure that you have a working smoke alarm on every floor so that if a fire starts when nobody is present, it is still known to everyone quickly. Also, double-check your fire extinguishers, and make sure you have a fire extinguisher on every floor so that a fire can be put out quickly if it were to occur. 

5. Keep Holiday Plants Out Of Reach 

Plants like holly and poinsettias are beautiful, and there's always the plant responsible for hilarious and awkward holiday memories: the mistletoe. However, despite their beauty, these plants are poisonous. In some cases, this can be fatal to animals and children, such as with holly. Others, like poinsettias, cause major irritation. A good holiday safety tip to avoid such a case is to put these plants out of reach of kids and pets. 

6. Use Candles Safely 

Yet another traditional holiday decoration is candles. However, as shocking as it may be, the flame of a candle can be a fire hazard. As using candles properly is a great holiday safety tip, here is how to do it: 

• Never leave a burning candle unattended. Put out all candles when you leave the room or go to sleep and always double-check to ensure it is entirely out. 
• Keep candles out of reach of children and pets. 
• Place candles away from flammable objects. 
• Trim the candle wick to 1/4 (0.635 cm) before usage, so the flame is not too large. 
• Never move a lit candle. 
• Don't use water to snuff out a candle; blow it out like it's on a birthday cake, use a snuffer, or extinguish it by putting a lid on top. 
• Avoid using a candle as a children's nightlight or a flashlight. 
• Consider using electric candles instead. 

While candles have the potential to give your home a calm feeling, it's best to be careful around them to ensure they don't cause an incident. 

7. Shop Cautiously Online 

Online shopping can be a convenient way to get what you want without having to deal with crowds. You don't need to go all the way to the store to buy your kid the toy they wanted, only for someone to grab the last one just before you do. Not only is the commute to your computer quicker, safer, and more fuel efficient, but you can also shop around more easily. However, the internet can be dangerous. Malicious people can take information from you or sell you a product that isn't what you want. Protecting your personal information is a vital holiday safety tip and can be done by doing the following: 

• Use secure websites only. Ensure the URL is HTTPS instead of HTTP and has the green padlock symbol. 
• Research all sites that you use before making any purchase to ensure that they are legitimate. Avoid sites that seem sketchy or have poor reviews. 
• When using a site where you purchase from another person, such as eBay or Etsy, ensure that the seller has a good track record.  
• Only give out personal information where needed to make a payment. Never give out personal identifying information or bank information to a stranger. 
• Create strong passwords for every site you use. 
• Avoid clicking on untrustworthy links.  
• Don't download anything unless you know what it is. 

While online shopping has many pros, there are dangers you need to be aware of. If you know how to identify a scam, you will minimize the chances of something going wrong. 

8. Practice Safe Cooking 

Cooking many different foods at once, especially in large quantities, can lead to some dangerous situations if you're not careful, which is why cooking safely is one of our holiday safety tips. Here are some kitchen safety tips that can help keep you and your family safe: 

• Keep a tidy kitchen. Ensure everything you're done with is put back and clean up crumbs. 
• Stay in the kitchen. If something goes wrong, you can see it right away. 
• Be careful with knives. Use a cutting board, always pay attention to what you're doing, and ensure that the sharp side is pointed away from people. 
• Make sure all meat is properly heated. Use a food thermometer to do so. 
• Keep children and pets out of the kitchen, as they can get into trouble quickly or push things off.  
• Understand your kitchen, the stove, and the risks associated with them. 

Please note that there is more to this holiday safety tip than just the above. It is important that you remember the basics of cooking and follow all safety precautions. 

9. Plan All Trips In Advance 

During the holidays, you're almost sure to visit with loved ones at some point. While this is great, a holiday safety tip you should take seriously is planning your trips. While it would be overkill to plan every trip down to the minute, it's best to know approximately when you'll leave and arrive, the route you'll take, and what to do in an emergency. Check the weather beforehand and be prepared to change plans if needed. 

10. Prepare Your Home And Car Emergency Kits 

While these are things you should do regardless of the time of year, the holidays are a great time to ensure you have emergency kits.  

Your winter emergency car kit is crucial during the holidays, partially due to the cold and dangerous weather and the added travelling you do during this time of year. Having a home winter storm kit can help if a storm hits suddenly, especially if you have family over. 

11. Secure Your Home 

You spend a lot of time away from home during the holidays because of time spent visiting family and shopping in stores. Due to this, your house can be a tempting target for someone who's trying to grab something. A good holiday safety tip would be to prevent a home break-in by ensuring that your doors are locked and to use your alarm system if you have one. You should also leave valuables out of sight of the windows and even leave lights on or set them to a timer to create the illusion of someone being home. 

12. Remember Snow Shoveling Safety 

Snow is certainly part of the winter wonderland we all love to see during the holiday season. It brings back fun childhood memories (watch any kid's face light up when you mention a 'snow day') and opens the door for some fun activities; winter weather isn't all fun and games. The white stuff can build up in your driveway, walking path, and sidewalk, making movement very difficult. Shovelling might not seem very dangerous since snow looks so fluffy and light, but large amounts of it add up to be heavier than you would think. A good holiday safety tip would be to keep snow shovelling safety in mind. Some sound advice would be: 

• Take breaks instead of shovelling everything in one go. 
• Drink plenty of fluids and have healthy snacks.  
• Lift with your legs, not your back. 
• Wear warm clothing. 
• Use the right shovel or combination of shovels. Longer handles are better for pushing snow, while shorter ones are better for lifting it. 

Please keep in mind this is just the beginning of snow shovelling safety, as your needs may change based on your personal situation. If your body tells you to slow down or stop, it's best you listen. Also, follow all advice given by medical professionals. 

Remember To Enjoy The Holiday Season 

Despite the extra work required to follow these holiday safety tips, you should still take the time to enjoy the holidays. This is often the best time of year to enjoy time with those closest to you, and we all wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season.