The holiday season has arrived and at Pierce Refrigeration, we’re looking forward to time spent at home with loved ones. However, it’s always important to remember to stay vigilant and keep safety top of mind, particularly during the holiday season. Nothing can ruin a holiday party or favorite Christmas tradition more than a common (but avoidable) household accident. From baking cookies to decorating your family’s Christmas tree, potential accidents are looming. Awareness is key!
Read our holiday safety tips below to learn more about common household hazards and how to keep your family and home safe this holiday season.
Monitor Holiday Candles
No holiday scene is complete without lighting an evergreen or gingerbread scented candle. Yet, according to the National Fire Protection Agency, the month of December is when candle fires are most common, followed closely by the month of January. In short: holiday candles can become dangerous if not monitored carefully.
To avoid a candle-caused fire, only light and keep holiday candles in common areas. Keeping a candle in eyesight ensures that, if anything goes wrong, you can react immediately. Further, keeping your candle of choice nearby guarantees that it will be blown out when deemed necessary.
In that same vein, it’s important to only burn candles when awake and alert. 11% of candle fires occurred because an individual fell asleep while a candle was burning.
And remember: only keep candles on cleared clean surfaces.
Place Decorations Deliberately
Incorporating holiday decorations through your home may be a treasured holiday tradition, yet dangerously placed or unmonitored decorations have been found to lead to hundreds of emergency room visits and house fires each year. Be sure to follow these important tips suggested by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, including:
Place Christmas Trees 3+ Feet from Fireplaces
If your home features a functional fireplace, it’s important to remember to place your tree – whether real or artificial – far away from your fireplace or any heat source. If you are opting for an artificial tree, doublecheck that it is fire resistant.
Turn Lights Off When Leaving Home
If you are incorporating lights into your holiday decor, from tree lights to exterior decorations, it’s important to remember to turn off all lights before leaving home. Electrical fires are a reality we all would prefer to avoid!
Safety First When Cooking + Baking
The holiday season is a time of irresistible food – from sugar cookies to mashed potatoes and everything in between. When cooking this holiday season, be sure to have safety top of mind.
- Doublecheck that your smoke detectors are operational.
- Set a timer and check it twice! Setting timers while cooking or baking ensures your delicious meal never burns and avoids the potential of a fire. A timer can help keep your mind at ease even when there are many cooks in the kitchen and distractions are abound.
- Doublecheck that burners and any other cooking equipment – from a Crockpot to your beloved Instapot – are unplugged after use.
- Keep kids and pets away from the kitchen to avoid distractions and possible accidents. Running through the kitchen always sounds like a fun idea but can end in disaster very quickly.
- Consider purchasing a fire extinguisher for your kitchen. While the hope is to never need to use it, having a fire extinguisher nearby in case of an emergency is important. Your local fire department can help advise you on training and best practices.
The holiday season is the season of joy – let’s avoid any and all unnecessary hazards with these holiday safety tips. From our family to yours, happy holidays!
Have a question regarding your home’s HVAC system this winter? Contact the Pierce Refrigeration team and one of our experts will guide you in finding your solution.
Need 24-7 emergency service? Looking for advice on improving your everyday air quality and comfort at home and at work? Contact the friendly staff at Pierce Refrigeration at 800-696-1088.