“Safety first,” Mimi always says. It doesn’t matter if we’re playing a game, baking cookies, enjoying a candlelit dinner, or decorating the tree, safety must always come first. It’s scary to think of all of the things that could happen when we don’t take a minute, or two, to insure we’re being safe.
A single minute could be the difference between a good day and a day spent in the emergency room. Did you know that every minute, 17 children visit emergency rooms due to unintentional injuries? Injuries are more common around the holidays – nearly 230 people will visit the emergency room each day for holiday-related injuries.
Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a leading independent safety organization, is calling all parents, specifically moms, to set aside time in their schedule to commit at least one minute to safety each day this holiday season. They have given us a list of things to keep in mind so we can put safety first.
Top 10 Tips for Safer Holidays
1. Water your tree: Dry trees pose a substantial fire risk. After bringing your tree home, make a fresh cut at the base of the trunk before putting it in a sturdy stand. Be sure to water it daily. Additionally, know your trees expiration date. After about four weeks, the tree will stop absorbing water, dry out and should be discarded.
2. Check your lights, check them twice: Inspect all of your electric lights and decorations for damage or wear. Cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires and loose connections may pose a fire or shock hazard.
3. Plan your fire escape: Use the holidays as a good time to practice a fire escape plan with your loved ones. Identify at least two exits from every room in the house.
4. Sleep safe, install smoke alarms: UL recommends using both types of smoke alarms in your home. Be sure that at least one smoke alarm is installed on each floor of your home, and always close to sleeping areas.
5. Be flame aware: Always blow out unattended candles and teach your children to stay away from lit candles or fireplaces.
6. Give wrapping paper a second life: Don’t burn used wrapping paper as it may cause intense flash fires. And throwing it out adds waste. Consider recycling or repurposing it instead.
7. Know your lights and cords: Do not connect more than three miniature light strings together. Also, be sure to check the rating on your extension cords and do not plug in more than the recommended wattage.
8. Steer your tree clear: Your tree should be positioned at least three feet away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources. It should also not block any doorways or exits.
9. Decorate with a safe eye: Cords should not be run under carpets and lights should not be tacked-up with metal nails or staples. Small decorations can be choking hazards so keep them out of the reach of toddlers.
10. Look for UL: Only use light strings and other electrical decorations that bear the UL Mark near the plug, signifying that safety standards have been met.
Will YOU commit a minute to safety this holiday season? Share how you will fulfill your commitment in the comments below, before December 15th, and you could win a $50 Visa gift card! Enter every day!
I have been compensated to bring you these safety tips, but safety is important to us, so I was happy to partner with UL this holiday season. For additional ideas and activities on how to “Commit a Minute” this holiday season, visit www.SafetyAtHome.com.
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I’ll keep the pets away from the decorations.
We have smoke alarms all over the house and keep our tree and electronics unplugged when we leave the house.
I will make sure to check my batteries in my fist alert systems in my house.
Dont overload the circuits and extension cords
We have smoke detectors that are working properly, and we have a fully charged fire extinguisher.
debrich6 @ centurytel dot net
We make sure to turn lights off when not home. We have a fake tree to more safe that way! great giveaway thank you very much!
tishajean@ charter.net
12-15
I will set up a timer to make sure the lights get turned off.
Thanks for the giveaway >^..^<
Daily entry 12/15:
I wont use candles at all!
Any wrapping paper that we can’t reuse, we recycle!
I have yearly dates that I change my batteries in my smoke dectectors and carbon monidixe decetector. I make sure all the plants I bring in for the holidays are safe for my cats.
We are keeping out tree watered !
http://icoulduseadeal.com/ jtrophy at gmail dot com
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i will commit to safety this year by being the designated driver for my friends and family!
We reuse our wrapping paper,bows and gift boxes.
I would make sure to turn the lights off at night and maybe it’s time to check the smoke alarm batteries.. Yeah, I know.
just a few weeks ago i purchased a new smoke alarm i am also getting a c monoxide detector after seeing some scary stuff on the news
I will check on all holiday decorations.
I turn off the Christmas tree anytime I am not in the living room (where the tree is).
priscilla(dot)a(dot)escobar(at)gmail(dot)com
we just checked out our smoke alarms, replacing batteries where needed
We just recently checked all our fire alarms and even added a new one to our house. Thanks.
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I went to the FB page and made a commitment to check the batteries on my smoke alarm. This is also the commitment I make here on your blog.
I commit to a minute of safety every day. I’ll check on my smoke and CO2 alarms and make sure they’re working right.
Thanks for the contest.
We’ll make sure the tree is watered properly, and ensure the lights on the tree and the decorations are turned off at night when we go to bed.
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