The holiday season is busy, busy, busy!
I’m excited to share some holiday safety tips from one of the local firefighters at the Chelsea 31 station! 🚒👨🚒 Thank you, Evan, for sharing these tips with us! Our firefighters are always giving for our communities and we are so thankful for all of our first responders.
We have 6 Safety Tips for the Holiday Season to share in this post! Watch this video that lists all six holiday safety tips 📺:
Tip #1
This tip is about using candles 🕯
Candles are used year round, but especially during the holiday season! Be safe by keeping candles away from anything hanging down such as curtains or drapes, and also keep candles away from decorations. When you leave the room or your house, be sure to blow out all of the candles!
Tip #2
This tip is about using space heaters 🔥
Space heaters are commonly used during cold months. Be sure to plug a space heater directly into an outlet; do not plug space heaters into an extension cord unless the extension cord is surge protected as regular extension cords cannot handle the current from a space heater and could catch fire. When using a space heater, make sure that you place it on a flat surface and do not plug it in under anything such as a desk. Keep the space heater away from other objects and do not block any exits or entryways. And of course, turn the space heater off when you leave!
Tip #3
This tip is about cooking in the kitchen during the holidays! 👩🍳👨🍳
Make sure you don’t leave anything near hot stoves such as mitts or hand towels. Unplug any unused appliances on the countertops, and more! Keep any handles from pots or pans on the stove away from people moving back and forth just in case someone walks by accidentally and knocks the pot or pan.
Tip #4
Let’s talk about turkey fryers! 🦃
This is an important tip for Thanksgiving and this tip includes some great ideas on how to safely fry your Thanksgiving turkey! First things first, fry your turkey on concrete floors (nothing wood) on a flat, even surface and do not fry your turkey inside. Keep your turkey fryer away from your home as well.
Be sure your turkey is thawed out before you fry it. Grease and water do not mix, so if your turkey isn’t thawed out and you try to fry it, you could cause an explosion. Keep an eye on the temperature of the oil. Also be careful when touching the outside of the turkey fryer as it will be hot – so keep pets and children away!
Tip #5
This tip is to make sure that you check your smoke detector batteries ♨️🔋.
Your smoke detector batteries should be changed twice a year, so Daylight Saving is the perfect way to remember to do this twice a year! You can also test your smoke detectors once a month to ensure they are working properly. Smoke detectors that are ten years or older should be replaced. Be sure that you have smoke detectors on every level in your home, and include them in all bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.
Tip #6
This safety tip covers Christmas trees and lights! 🎅🎄
Whether you have an artificial tree or a real tree in your home, make sure you keep the tree at least three feet away from the fireplace. Also keep your tree away from the vents in your home so no heat is blowing directly onto the tree. Inspect all light cords and make sure none look damaged or frayed. If any cords look like they could be damaged, replace them with new ones. Also check the lightbulbs to make sure none are cracked.
Try not to use multiple extension cords for your Christmas tree lights and decorations as well. Some extension cords may not be able to handle all of the current, so this could increase risk of a shortage or fire. Any extension cords outside should be well protected from the rain. Be sure to only use outdoor lights outside, do not use inside lights for your outside decorations!
If you have a real Christmas tree, trim the trunk by two inches and allow the tree to absorb water for 24 hours before bringing it inside. Also make sure to inspect the water reservoir daily. Don’t let your tree dry out as dry needles could increase a fire risk.
Any More Holiday Safety Tips?
So there you go! Here are six safety tips to help you safely through the holiday season this year! Thank you so much again, Evan, for sharing these safety tips with us!
What other safety tips do you recommend to keep your family and household safe? I’d love for you to share in the comments below!
Have a happy holiday season!
Sincerely,
Dianna Howell
The Howell Group of Keller Williams in the Birmingham Alabama area
Top Birmingham Real Estate Agent
