Hanging ornaments, stringing lights and cooking holiday dinners should create fond memories. But for too many people, the holidays will be anything but merry and bright.
Approximately 15,000 people are seriously injured and visit the emergency room during the holiday season.[i]
(Make safety a factor in holiday decorating. Courtesy of U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and YouTube)
The National Safety Council wants to make sure you and your loved ones deck the halls safely. Tips include:
- Never use lighted candles near trees or boughs
- Use a ladder or step stool to decorate high places
- Keep poisonous plants such as poinsettias out of reach of animals and children
- Check holiday lights for fraying, bare spots, gaps in insulation or excessive kinking in the wire
- Turn off all tree lights and decorations when not in use
- When cooking, wash hands, sink, utensils and anything else that touches raw meat
- Immediately refrigerate leftovers, and reheat food to at least 165 degrees
- If you are hosting a party and serving alcohol, make sure everyone has a safe ride home. Impairment begins with the first drink.
- Avoid giving children gifts with small parts or button batteries, which are easily swallowed and can be fatal
Download, share and print our 12 Days of Safety infographic and visit nsc.org to stay safe year round.
Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, the National Safety Council, nsc.org, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy.
NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact – distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety, prescription drug overdoses and Safe Communities.
[i] According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission
To learn more regarding the dangers of button batteries and children, please go to
Deadly Batteries: Incidents Not Decreasing (Learn More – Video)
