Seasonal Safety
Decorate Safely for the Holidays

Holiday decorations, especially candles and electrical lighting, can be fire hazards. Remeber to take a few precautions when decorating for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwaanza and other winter festivities.

Never leave lit candles unattended. Don’t put candles on a tree or a natural wreath, or near curtains or drapes. Keep matches and lighters locked out of reach. In 2002, candles started 18,000 home fires in the United States, and twice as many home fires in December as in any other month, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Decorative lighting should be labeled with the UL seal of approval from Underwriters Labs. If it’s not labeled for outdoor use, don’t use it outdoors.

If you decorate a tree, Safe Kids Worldwide recommends these precautions:

• Never leave a lit Christmas tree or other decorative lighting display unattended. Inspect lights for exposed or frayed wires, loose connections and broken sockets. Do not overload extension cords or outlets and do not run an electrical cord under a rug.

• Natural Christmas trees always involve some risk of fire. To minimize the risk, get a fresh tree and keep it watered at all times. Do not put the tree near a fireplace, space heater, radiator or heat vent. LED lights burn cooler than incandescent lights and pose a lower risk of fire.

• Decorate with children in mind. Do not put ornaments that have small parts or metal hooks, or look like food or candy, on the lower branches where small children can reach them. Trim protruding branches at or below a child’s eye level, and keep lights out of reach.

• Do not burn Christmas tree branches, treated wood or wrapping paper in a home fireplace.

To prevent accidental poisoning:

• Keep alcohol (including baking extracts) out of reach and do not leave alcoholic drinks unattended.

• Color additives used in fireplace fires are a toxic product and should be stored out of reach. Artificial snow sprays are also harmful if inhaled.

• Holly berries, mistletoe berries, poinsettias, amaryllis, boxwood, Christmas rose, Crown of Thorns, English ivy and Jerusalem cherry are all potentially harmful if eaten.

• For more information, or to find out whether other decorative plants and products are hazardous to children, call your local Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222.

Visit the Fire Safety mini-site for more information about burn prevention and kitchen safety.