The holiday season is a time for joy and cheer, but safety still needs to be a top priority. Even with it being a time for happiness and fun, accidents and dangerous situations can still occur. By taking the proper safety precautions, you can prevent any unnecessary and scary events or injuries to you or your loved ones. Continue reading for 5 safety tips to live by this holiday season.
- Travel Safely For The Holidays
You may be traveling from house to house for holiday celebrations, so you want to make sure that you will be traveling safely. Prior to your travel, make sure your car is in good condition to make the trip, including taking care of any overdue maintenance issues. This includes having effective windshield wipers, working headlights, and tailights, and tires with sufficient tread depth in the event there is inclement weather. Under Georgia law, tires for passenger vehicles must have a tread depth of no less than 2/32nds of an inch in all major grooves to be legal. Keep an emergency kit readily available in your car in case of an accident.
To help prevent an accident:
- Avoid driving while tired.
- Leave early and plan for traffic.
- Have everyone in the vehicle buckle up.
- Do not text and drive.
- Be a defensive driver.
- Have a designated driver if there is drinking taking place at a holiday gathering.
- Make sure children are in the correct car seat or booster seat.
- Choose Safe Toys For Children
Toys are meant to be fun for children but can result in injuries if they are not safe. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in 2020 alone there were 198,000 toy-related injuries.
There are several ways to prevent toy-related hazards:
- Choose the correct age range toys for the recipient.
- For any toddlers, refrain from getting toys with any small pieces that could be choking hazards.
- Be careful with any battery-operated toys since batteries can be choking hazards or potentially ingested. In addition, lithium-ion batteries can pose a fire risk so care should be taken to monitor closely any devices using this type of battery.
- When gifting bikes, scooters, roller skates, or any other similar toy, also give the correct protective gear, such as helmets and knee pads.
- Steer clear of any toys that have toxic ingredients.
- Before purchasing a toy, check for any recent recalls. A great resource for checking on the safety of a potential toy is the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website: https://www.cpsc.gov
- Stay Safe When Decorating
One of the best ways to get in the holiday spirit is to decorate your home, on the inside and outside. However, if you are not careful when decorating, accidents or incidents could happen.
To prevent any decorating-related accidents this holiday season, use these tips:
- Practice ladder safety to prevent any falls.
- Make sure all of your lights are working properly and do not have any frayed wires or shorts.
- Use nonflammable or fire-retardant ornaments.
- If you have an artificial tree, make sure it is fire-resistant.
- If you use real Christmas trees, keep them watered to prevent the needles from drying out, which makes it more likely to catch on fire.
- Practice Fire Safety
Throughout the year you should practice fire safety in your home, but especially during the holidays when you have extra decorations throughout your home or your family is using a fireplace.
- Ensure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are working properly. These should be checked at least annually.
- Keep your Christmas tree away from your fireplace or any other heat sources.
- Place any candles away from flammable items and on heat-resistant surfaces.
- Do not leave any lit candles unattended.
- Handling Food Safely
Food is an essential part of holiday gatherings. To keep these gatherings fun and safe, practice good food safety to prevent any food poisoning or related illness.
- Wash your hands multiple times throughout the process of handling food, especially uncooked meat.
- Avoid cross-contamination by using different dishes, cutting boards, and utensils for cooked and uncooked meat.
- Make sure meat is thoroughly cooked by using a meat thermometer.
- Two hours after serving food, refrigerate any leftovers.
From the members of Glass & Robson, we wish you a safe and happy holiday season! In the event you or a loved one is injured during this holiday season, one of our attorneys at Glass & Robson can represent you to recover full compensation and damages that you may be entitled to under the law. Having legal guidance and representation will allow you to focus on your recovery. To discuss a potential case, schedule a consultation with us today by calling (404) 751-4702.
Sources:
https://www.nsc.org/community-safety/safety-topics/seasonal-safety/winter-safety/holiday https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/Toy-Related-Deaths-and-Injuries-2020.pdf