Well, Christmas is almost here again! How the year has flown. Time to get the cards sent out, work out the gift list and the menu, put up the tree and decorate the house. This time of great joy and celebration means having extra cooking and food preparation, entertaining family and friends, flaming brandy Christmas puddings, no spare power points because of all the lights and tinsel decorations everywhere.
As much fun and as beautiful as it can all be, this time of year can also bring with it an increase in the risk of accidents, injuries, fires and burglaries. I thought I would share a few safety guidelines with you to make your Christmas season safer.
Entertaining
With a house full of visitors to look after it is easy to get distracted. One of the leading causes of house fires is unattended cooking – try to keep an eye on what it is you have in the stove or the oven to avoid the risk of fire. Let your visitors know what they need to do if there is a fire in the house and explain to them your exit points and where to meet up should a fire occur.
You may have little visitors whose behaviour patterns you are not familiar with, so please:
- Put matches, lighters and other dangerous objects well out of reach
- Store dangerous chemicals and cleaners out of reach or ensure that you have safety locks on the cupboards.
- Put medications away in a locked cupboard or container well out of reach.
- Remove medications from bedside tables if you are in the habit of keeping them there and secure them in a safe place
- Put your handbag well out of reach if you keep things like cigarettes or medications in it
- If you have a swimming pool, ensure that the gate is secured and if children are swimming, that they have adequate adult supervision
- If you have guests who are smokers, designate an area outside of the house where they can smoke, making sure it is well away from non-smokers and children
- Provide deep ashtrays or containers filled with sand that also has a lid with a slot for smokers to dispose of their cigarettes. Cigarette butts can be toxic to small children