No matter which holiday you’re celebrating this fall or winter season, Helfrich Associates reminds you to make it a safe celebration. As you bring out the lights, the yard decorations, the ladders, the extension cords, the controllers, the timers, the batteries, the real candles, fresh greenery and wood logs for that roaring fireplace, be sure to think “safety” first.
This year the Winter Solstice is Thursday, December 21, the shortest day of the year. That leaves little more than four weeks between Thanksgiving, the solstice and Christmas followed by New Year’s Day 2024. If these dates aren’t already keeping you awake at night or even on your calendar, then you might be tempted to overcompensate once holiday decorating hits full tilt hysteria on November 24 (the day after Thanksgiving 2023), but please go slow and be safe.
Every year at Helfrich Associates, as structural engineers who are also fire restoration consultants to the insurance industry, we come up with our own Santa’s List of Decorating Safety Tips. So, we put on our Santa hats recently, and here are our annual decorating safety suggestions:
- Wear suitable clothes and closed toe shoes (no flip flops on ladders please) and get out the face masks and gloves to be ready if dust or breakage are visible.
- Check out old family favorite decorations to make sure the materials are marked flame resistant and that light strings are rated “UL” (Underwriters Laboratory) approved.
- Check light string cords, extension cords, timers and controllers for cracks, fraying, or scorch marks, and then discard and replace as necessary.
For outdoor lighting, make sure all extension cords, timers and controllers are rated for outdoor, safe use. Read the instructions and labels; look for UL approval stamps or text.- Please–No tacking or stapling through light strings and extension cords—be sure to use removable lighting hangers and hooks, try the stick-up types that use removable glues.
- Check all decorations indoors and outdoors for broken lights and blown fuses; repairing them before installation or hanging saves time and frustration.
- If decorations are battery-powered, you probably removed the batteries before you put them away. If not, look for battery acid damage and then toss/replace as necessary.
- Outdoor lighting and decor must be plugged into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) plugs, which help prevent electric shock when conditions are unsafe.
For indoor and outdoor lighting strings, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and never plug more strings or decorations together than the instructions allow.- Use timers or controllers to turn off lighting and decorations before bedtime—never leave them on all night . . . it is potentially unsafe and wastes energy.
- Indoor lights should never touch drapes, furniture, or carpeting. If live or fresh cut trees or floral are in use—be sure they are watered or toss them as soon as they dry out.
- About Candles—LED types are safer than wax flame candles. If you use real ones, use jar types or save them for the dinner table. Real or faux—out they go before bedtime.
- Ladder Alert: Know your height limits. Adults, especially seniors, can suffer vertigo for any number of reasons—call your local handy “elves” or younger adults for roof lighting.
- Change your batteries in Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide (CO2) Detectors every fall—they are potential lifesavers that work 24-x7 all year protecting you at home.
- Stay awake until the fireplace goes out—never go to sleep with a fire burning.
The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) emphasizes the potential fire hazard of Christmas trees, causing hundreds of structure fires and significant damage. While tree fires are statistically uncommon, they tend to be more serious when they occur. Christmas tree fires are more common, however, with live trees, as they dry out over time.
Make sure your live or fresh cut tree is well-hydrated. For a fresh cut tree, cut the trunk 2 inches from the base before placing it in the stand, and add water daily. Keep trees at least 3 feet away from heat sources. Never use real lit candles on your trees or fresh wreaths or garlands, and set up a phone calendar reminder alarm for watering by schedule. Toss when dry saves lives.
If your December plans involve purchasing, building, or remodeling a home, consider giving us a call at Helfrich Associates. We’d love to help make your holiday dreams come true. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanza or whatever you’re celebrating this year from all of us at Helfrich Associates. We wish you a safe and joyous holiday season, and a fantastic 2024.