Holiday Safety

Make sure you have a safe and enjoyable holiday season !

Decorate Safely

Decorating is one of the best ways to get in a holiday mood, but emergency rooms see thousands of injuries involving holiday decorating every season. When decorating follow these tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Watch Out for Fire-Starters

Candles and Fireplaces: Use of candles and fireplaces, combined with an increase in the amount of combustible, seasonal decorations in many homes during the holidays, means more risk for fire.
Decorations: Be careful with holiday decorations. Choose decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant. Visit this website for more info.

Food Poisoning Is No Joke

Keep your holidays happy by handling food safely. The foodsafety.gov website from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the WHD provide some valuable holiday food safety tips.

It's Better to Give Safely

Gifts and toys should inspire joy, not cause injuries. Thousands of children are seriously injured in toy-related incidents every year. Avoid safety hazards while gifting with these tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Be cautious about toys that have button batteries or magnets, which can be harmful or fatal if swallowed
Toys are age-rated for safety, not for children’s intellect and physical ability, so be sure to choose toys in the correct age range
Choose toys for children under 3 that do not have small parts which could be choking hazards

To find out about holiday toy safety and recalls, check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website.

December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month

The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA) reported that in 2019 during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, 210 lives were lost due to alcohol-impaired driving crashes. That’s 210 people in one week who didn’t make it home because either they or someone with whom they came in contact chose to use alcohol and then get behind the wheel. That same year, more than 10,000 people died from drunk driving crashes alone.

These deaths were preventable. That’s why for more than 40 years, preventionists across the country have observed National Impaired Driving Prevention Month in December to raise awareness that impaired driving can be deadly and to put strategies in place for all of us to make it home safely.