By VICKIE CLARK
Question: Lots of holiday decorations are going up this time of year. What are the chances of getting through the holiday season without an accident?
Answer: Every year nearly 13,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for holiday decorating-related injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Falls are hands down the most common reason folks end up in the emergency room this time of year. It’s not only decorations that pose a danger during the holidays. Christmas trees and candles create fire hazards during the holidays.
Other common holiday accidents:
Tripping over extension cords
Sprains and back injuries due to carrying luggage
Burns from space heaters
Scalding accidents
Electrical shocks from small appliances, power tools, and lighting equipment
Accidental poisoning
Gifts with wheels (if it rolls, make sure you gift the helmet. Don’t rely on the person to buy their helmet later on, they will get hurt trying it out on Christmas Day!)
To keep your holiday decorating fun, not scary, just follow the 12 Days of Safety:
Never use lighted candles near trees or boughs
Keep poisonous plants out of reach of children and pets
Keep trees away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources
Make sure your tree has a stable platform
Choose an artificial tree that is labeled fire resistant
If using a natural tree, make sure it is well-watered
Check holiday lights for fraying, bare spots, or excessive kinking in the wire
Turn off all tree lights when not in use
When putting up decorations, use a step stool or ladder to reach high places
Designate a sober driver
When preparing a meal, wash hands, utensils, sink and anything that touches raw meat
Reheat leftovers to at least 165 deg. F
Vickie Clark is the director of the Carter County UT Extension Office and the Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent. If you have questions or need any information related to Family and Consumer Science contact her at UT Extension Carter County, 824 East Elk Avenue, Elizabethton, call 542-1818 or email vclark@utk.edu