Better Safe Than Sorry

[drakonwick]

Better Safe Than Sorry

Care in preparing, concern for safety can help make your holidays carefree!

For the holidays. with a little help from the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors,

and the National Fire Protection Agency.

Decorating:

1. Use cation with holiday decorations. Whenever possible, choose those made with flame-resistant, flame-r******ent

or noncombustible materials.

2. Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials, and do not use candles to decorate christmas-

trees. Always use nonflammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down.

3. Choose artificial icicles made of plastic or nonleaded metals, and avoid sharp or breakable ornaments in homes with

small children.

Trees:

1. When buying an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant."

2. When buying a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, its needles are hard to pull from branches and when

bent between your fingers, needles do not break.

3. When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces, radiators or portable heaters. Place the tree out of the way

of traffic and do not block doorways.

4. Cut a few inches off the trunk of your tree to expose the fresh wood. This allows for better water absorption and will help to

keep your tree from drying out and becoming a fire hazard.

5. Be sure to keep the stand filled water, because heated rooms can rapidly dry out live trees.

Lights:

1. Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching

a branch could be electrocuted.

2. Before using lights outdoors, check to see if they have been certified for outdoor use.

3. To hold lights in place, string them through plastic hooks, not nails or tacks. Never pull or tug lights to remove them.

4. Make sure that all the bulbs work and that there are no frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections.

Entertaining:

1. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the United States. When cooking for holiday visitors, remember to keep an eye

on the range.

2. When cooking, make sure that you wear clothes that fit tightly at the wrists or roll up the sleeves. Tuck in ties, bows or other pieces of

clothing that could come into contact with a hot stove.

3. Turn pot handle in when cooking on the stove, and be sure to set timers when you must leave the kitchen.

4. When finished with electric-heating appliances, unplug them from the outlet.

Fireplaces and wood stoves:

1. Plan ahead and have your chimney, flues or stove cleaned by a professional.

2. Before lighting any fire, remove all greens, boughs, papers and other decorations from the firebox area. Do not burn wrapping papers.

A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.

3. Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause cause

intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten.

4. Make sure than you burn only clean, dry firewood.

5. Check the damper to ensure that it is open before lighting the fire, and keep all combustibles at least 36 inches away from fireplaces

and wood stoves.

6. Have a sturdy fireplace screen on the fireplace.

Children and pets:

1. Poinsettias are known to be poisonous to humans and animals, so keep them well out of reach, or avoid them.

2. Keep decorations at least 6 inches above a child's reach.

3. Avoid using tinsel. It can fall on the floor and a curious child or pet may eat it, This can cause anything from mild distress to death.

4. Ensure that ribbons on gifts and tree ornaments are shorter than 7 inches. A child could wrap a longer strand of ribbon around their

neck and choke.

5. Watch children and pets around space heaters or the fireplace. Do not leave a child or pet unattended.

This is brought to you by (On The House!)

Link- On The House

Most of this is common sense. But, hey! It's better to be safe than sorry.

If anyone else has any ideas to add to this, they are more than welcome.

Happy holidays to everyone and seasons greetings!

Regards,

Tom

[MissMelsWell]

The obvious one... have a fire extinguisher on hand. Honestly.

Many many years ago, my former husband hauled home a christmas tree (it was rare we were home on holidays, and I don't celebrate christmas, but he wanted it) and we were sitting in the livingroom just watching TV and that damned tree just tipped over out of the blue and landed right on top of a lit candle. It flamed up pretty quick, and thanks to my ex's safety fetish, he was able to put it out quickly with an extinguisher we kept in the kitchen.

So ya, keep a fire extinguisher handy.

Edited November 18, 2007 by MissMelsWell