Common Holiday Injuries and How to Avoid Them
This is the most dangerous time of the year. When children cut their fingers, dads fall down stairs, and you roll onto your back. This is the same casual season. Here are some tips for getting through your vacation safe.
Avoid Falls by Hanging Christmas Lights and Decorations
Jewelry is the leading cause of injury during the holidays, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) . In December 2015 alone, holiday decorations killed six people and injured nearly 14,000 in hospitals . There are a lot of people hurting themselves by trying to show the holiday mood.
Most of these injuries were due to falls, which according to Dr. Sean Evans is one of the most common reasons people are hospitalized at this time of year. And you don’t have to fall far to get hurt. A few feet is enough to get a concussion, break a bone, or break your back. To avoid injury:
- Don’t drink or decorate: Set aside the eggnog and save it after decorating. Many decorative injuries are associated with alcohol consumption.
- Do not decorate alone: if something does happen, you need someone to be around to help you or call for help. It’s the same with others – don’t let your family decorate alone. Offer help, especially if they are elderly.
- Check your ladder before using it: make sure none of the rungs are broken and that you are not over the recommended weight limit. Also make sure the rungs are dry before going up.
- Install the ladder correctly: Place the ladder on firm, level ground. Use the 4 to 1 rule : For every four feet of height you need to climb, move the base one foot away from the wall. And let someone hold it for you.
- Keep the kids safe on the ground: The kids will want to help you decorate the ground , but they’d better hand over the tools to you or hold the ladder.
You may have already hung most of your lanterns and decorations around the house, but these dangers are also present when you are about to demolish them. So do not neglect these tips after all the fun has already happened.
Protect jewelry and candles from fire
Between 2010 and 2012, Christmas tree fires resulted in over 400 fires, 10 deaths, 20 injuries and $ 17 million in property damage, according to the CPSC. Candles cause about 6,500 residential fires each year and cause about 80 deaths, 650 injuries and $ 237 million in property damage each year. Needless to say, fire safety needs to be taken seriously during the holidays.
If you don’t want your family to roast over an open fire, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Buy safety lanterns: The lanterns you use must be labeled by a safety lab. LEDs are a great choice as they are energy efficient and cool.
- Check the lights for damage before use: discard kits with exposed or frayed wires, cracked or broken bulbs, or any other damage.
- Light candles safely: Keep lit candles out of sight and away from places where children or pets could knock them over. Also, make sure candles are not placed near objects that could catch fire, such as decorations, curtains, furniture, or Christmas trees. The video above will show you why.
- Consider an artificial tree: An artificial Christmas tree is unlikely to act as a kindling fire in your living room. Look for the one that has the “fire retardant” label.
Whatever wood you use, keep it away from heat sources. And if you do decide to start a real tree, the National Fire Protection Association recommends checking the freshness before buying . It should be green, not brown, and the needles and twigs should not break when you bend them.
Don’t let you and your family slip on ice
Depending on where you plan to spend your vacation, there is a chance to find yourself in a snowy winter wonderland. This means the danger of slipping at every turn. If you want Jack Frost not to bite your bruised ass, you need to remove the ice from your driveway and walkways as soon as possible.
Lay down ice melt products like calcium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, or rock salt before it snows , if possible . And also add some sand or cat litter to the ice melt mixture. If snow has already fallen, clear as much snow as possible before spreading the de-icer of your choice.
Raise trees securely and hang suitable decorations
There is nothing like a real Christmas tree in the living room, but the CPSC suggests that handling the trees is actually quite dangerous. They can be much heavier than they appear, so it is important not to try to move them alone and always lift them with your feet, not your back . Otherwise, you could stretch your back, injure your spine, stretch your shoulder, or lose your balance and fall. Again, your tree may already be climbing, but be sure to take care of cutting it down.
Decorating your tree with decorations and pruning also comes with certain safety concerns. The CPSC recommends re-evaluating the use of sharp, heavy or fragile jewelry. They can fall and hit someone, and people can easily cut their hands on broken jewelry such as shiny glass balls. And if you have babies for a holiday, do not use edible decorations or trimmings. Anything that looks like food, candy, or has small detachable parts can be a very real choking hazard .
Unfold gifts without cutting yourself
It may sound strange, but injuries sustained when wrapping or unwrapping gifts are the second most common type of holly-related accidents, especially around Christmas . Very few of these injuries are life-threatening, but they can be bloody. Wounds and stab wounds occur when people use knives, scissors, and other sharp objects to wrap or open their gifts.
The fix here is quite simple: do not use kitchen knives (especially blunt ones), pens, scissors, or other inappropriate tools to open gifts. The tools should only be used for their intended purpose. If you absolutely must use a blade of any kind to open gifts, use a safety blade (you can get one for a few dollars). And always cut away from you and other people, and keep the blade away from young people. Help them if they find it difficult to rip gifts.