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Preventing Accidental Injury. Contact: Cherie Sage, 785-296-1223, or |
Decorate Safely for the Holidays
Safe Kids Kansas offers holiday safety reminders
Holiday decorations, especially candles and electrical lighting, can be fire hazards, and Safe Kids Kansas reminds parents and caregivers to take a few precautions when decorating for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and other winter festivities.
“Never, never leave burning candles unattended,” says Cherie Sage, Safe Kids Kansas State Director. “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 2005, candles started 15,000 home fires in the United States, and the top four days for candle fires are around Christmas and New Year’s according to the National Fire Protection Association. Battery-operated flameless candles are an alternative that does not have a fire risk.
“Decorative lighting should be labeled with the seal of an independent testing lab,” says Sage. “If it’s not labeled for outdoor use, don’t use it outdoors.”
If you decorate a tree, Safe Kids Kansas 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 within three feet of 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.
Safe Kids Kansas also offers these tips to prevent accidental poisoning:
- Keep alcohol (including baking extracts) out of reach and do not leave alcoholic drinks unattended. Don’t forget to store all medications, including those for children, out of reach.
- 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. If a child eats any part of a non-food plant, call the Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222.
For more information about home safety, visit the fire prevention and safety tips pages at www.usa.safekids.org.
Safe Kids Kansas, Inc. is a nonprofit Coalition of over 70 statewide organizations and businesses dedicated to preventing accidental injuries to Kansas children ages 0-14. Local coalitions and chapters are located in Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Clay, Coffey, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Ellis, Finney, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Labette, Leavenworth, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Mitchell, Montgomery, Osage, Pottawatomie, Rice, Riley, Saline, Smith, Shawnee, Wilson and Woodson Counties, as well as the cities of Chanute, Emporia, Leavenworth, Pittsburg, the Wichita Area (including Butler, Harvey, Sumner and Sedgwick counties) and the Metro Kansas City Area (Wyandotte county and several Missouri counties.) Safe Kids Kansas a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury. The lead agency for Safe Kids Kansas is the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Visit us at www.safekidskansas.org.