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December Tips of the Month: Decorations
Christmas trees, holiday plants and lights,
candles and other holiday decorations can pose a safety hazard.
When purchasing an
artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." When
purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. The tree should be
green, with needles that are hard to pull off. When the needles
are bent between fingers, needles do not break. When the butt of
the trunk is tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many
needles. Place the tree securely in the tree stand. A baby or
young child can pull on the branches and easily topple it over.
You may need to secure the tree to the wall. Another safety
feature with young children around is to place a multi-sectioned
gate around the tree. Cut a few inches off the trunk of your
tree to expose the fresh wood. This allows for better water
absorption and will help to keep your tree from drying out and
becoming a fire hazard.
Before using lights for
decorating, make sure that they are not damaged. Check for
frayed wires or loose connections. Never use more than three
sets of lights on a single extension cord and don't overload
electrical outlets. Never use electric lights on a metallic
tree, as the tree can become charged with electricity from
faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be
electrocuted. When using lights outdoors be sure to check labels
to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use. To hold
lights in place, string them through hooks or insulated staples,
not nails or tacks. Never pull or tug lights to remove them.
Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with ground
fault circuit interrupters to avoid potential shocks. Turn off
lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could
short out and start a fire.
Other decorations should be
flame-resistant and made on nonleaded materials. You should also
avoid edible decorations, including popcorn chains and candy
canes, since younger children may think that all of the
decorations are edible. Take special care to avoid decorations
that are sharp or breakable when young children are around. Keep
small decorations away from the bottom of the tree, to avoid the
child from swallowing or inhaling small pieces. Not only is
tinsel easy to swallow, it can become entangled around the
child's fingers, cutting off circulation. Artificial snow and
flocking materials are not edible, so you may want to avoid them
if there are younger children in the home.
Never use lighted candles
on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable
holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked over.
Do not place candles next to flammable items such as curtains,
furniture, or decorations. Do not leave candles unattended.
Ensure all matches and lighters are out of reach of children.
If decorating with live
plants or greenery, be aware of which plants are poisonous and
should be kept out of the reach of children and pets. Mistletoe,
Boston and English Ivy, and Holly berries are among them.
If accidental ingestion of a poisonous plant does occur, contact
the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
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