The Christmas season is fast approaching, and in the spirit of the festive season, it is important to practice and make time for safety.
HOLIDAY LIGHTS: Consider using LED lights and hang them with nail free clips for your outdoor/indoor rated lights. Remember, use lights that have the mark of accredited certification agencies in Canada, such as CSA, cCSAus, cUL, cULus, cETL, or cETLus. Ensure light strings are meant for indoors or outdoors. Use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) outlets for outdoor power. Additionally, throw away any frayed or exposed wires, loose connections or broken light sockets.
CANDLES & DECORATIONS: Is that candle too close to the decoration(s) sitting on your table, shelf, fireplace mantle or other flat surface(s)? Fires caused by holiday decorations, and open flames from candles are all too common this season. Battery-power candles are a great alternative, but if you must light up, keep candles away from pets and children; put the candle in a sturdy container and always remember to blow out when you go out, as well as when you leave a room with a burning candle.
SMOKE ALARMS: Fatal fires are at their highest rate during the holidays. When seconds matter, a working Smoke Alarm is the gift of time in the event of a fire. A working Smoke Alarm on every level of the home, tested monthly, and batteries replaced at least annually, is the best gift of safety you can give your family this season. In addition, install working SMOKE ALARMS in every bedroom and outside each sleeping area!
CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS: Unlike gingerbread, carbon monoxide is odorless. Unlike someone’s ugly Christmas sweater … it’s invisible. Unlike those tasty holiday treats … it’s tasteless. Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a deadly gas that can cause flu-like symptoms. Only working CO ALARMS can detect the presence of this lethal gas. A working CO Alarm alerts people to a potential CO emergency with FOUR PEEPS and is the best way to protect your family from the SILENT KILLER!
TREE WATERING: If you choose and/or have already chosen a natural tree, examine it to ensure it’s not dry and shedding needles, a condition which causes a tree to become highly combustible. Additionally, prior to setting it up in a secure tip-resistant stand with the provision for holding water. Place a fresh cut on the trunk at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the original cut. Remember, falling needles are your tree’s way of telling you it’s drying out and is a fire waiting to happen. Avoid being a statistic and water your tree daily. Be aware of heat sources near the tree, including candles, space heaters, baseboard heaters, and non-LED lights.
EXTENSION CORDS: Don’t overextend your outlets! Extension cords are a temporary solution; if more electrical outlets are required, have them installed by a licensed electrician. Fire and electric shock are not on anyone’s wish list this season—avoid overloading an electrical circuit and never run extension cords under a rug.
Safety—it starts with you folks.
