About 10% of holiday decor-related injuries happen to children younger than four. (Credit: Maria Sbytova/Adobe Stock)
The most wonderful time of the year can also be one of the most accident prone.
Each year, around 18,400 people visit the emergency room due to an accident involving holiday decorations, according to USAFacts.
Visits peak the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when an average of 660 people seek medical treatment due to their injuries. While visits dip around Christmas, they increase again at New Year’s, when people start taking decorations down.
Children and middle-aged adults are at the highest risk for injury. About 10% of injuries happen to children younger than four, and about 30% of injuries happen to people between the ages of 40 and 60.
Toddlers are more likely to be injured by decorations, usually from swallowing or chewing on ornaments and lights. Adults are more likely to be injured while decorating, typically from slipping or falling while on chairs, ladders or the roof.
In addition to injuries, holiday decorations can also lead to fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association, U.S. fire departments respond to an average of 835 home fires caused by holiday decorations each year.
Electrical distribution or lighting equipment is involved in 41% of home Christmas tree fires. About one in five Christmas tree fires are started by lamps or bulbs, and 11% are started by candles.
Here are 11 tips from the Air Force Safety Center to help prevent accidents this season:
- Use non-flammable decorations.
- Check holiday lights for wear, and replace any with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections.
- Don’t link more than three strands of holiday lights.
- Check whether lights are marked for indoor use or outdoor use.
- Place candles in stable holders where they can’t be knocked down easily and never leave them unattended.
- Keep Christmas trees away from heat sources and don’t let them block exits.
- Buy Christmas trees that are fresh and green with needles that are hard to pull from the branches.
- Be sure to water Christmas trees daily to prevent them from catching on fire.
- Don’t use electric lights on metallic trees.
- If using a ladder to hang decorations, make sure it’s on even and solid ground. Keep three body parts in contact with the ladder at all times.
- Don’t run electrical cords under rugs or carpeting. Tape cords down to avoid trip hazards.
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