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Zone Dynamics ^TM

Holiday Safety and Health Tips

CANDLES

Place candles in holders that won’t tip over. (Candles are responsible for thousands of injuries each year.)

Keep all candles, Yule logs, Menorahs and Kinaras away from drapes, Christmas trees, and any other combustible or flammable items

Extinguish candles before leaving home or going to sleep

Don’t leave children or pets alone in a room with candles (or matches & lighters)

TREES (Christmas trees are involved in more than 400 fires annually,)

If you use a live tree, make sure it is fresh, secure it in a sturdy stand away from heat sources and exits, and keep the tray full of water. (A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and needles don’t break when bent between the fingers. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and, when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.)

Artificial trees and decorations should be fire-retardant and labeled by a testing laboratory. Don’t overload electrical outlets.

Christmas tree lights should be in good working order, with bulbs secured tightly to prevent a fire hazard. When you take them out each year, examine them carefully for broken or frayed wires or loose connections. Discard damaged lights and buy new lights rather than attempting any repairs.

Wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with spun glass "angel hair." Follow container directions carefully to avoid lung irritation while decorating with artificial snow sprays.

Before working with outdoor wiring, turn off the electricity to the supply outlet and unplug the connection. Make sure that light strings, cords, spotlights and floodlights are certified for use outdoors or in wet locations. Don’t use a metal ladder to put up your lights. Make sure your ladder is stable and free of defects. Keep electrical connectors above ground and out of puddles and snow as well as away from metal eaves troughs. To prevent moisture from entering bulb sockets, position the bulbs downward to face the ground if possible.

If you absolutely must use an extension cord, it should be equal to or larger than the wire you plug into it. If in doubt, use a heavy-duty cord.

Don’t tack or staple an extension cord to the wall or woodwork to prevent cord damage that could lead to fire or shock hazard. Make sure cords do not dangle from counters and tabletops where they can be pulled or tripped over.

Turn off your decorative lights when you leave the house or go to bed.

Check your smoke detector batteries.

Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections, and throw out damaged sets.

Unplug all lights prior to leaving home or going to bed. Don’t place electrical lights on a metal Christmas tree. (The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.)

Cover your tree stand tightly with skirting. The water from the tree base can make children and/or pets sick.

Avoid using edible ornaments or ornaments which appear to be edible (very tempting to pets and children).

HEATING SOURCES

Make sure your fireplace/wood stove is inspected and clean before the beginning of every heating season. Follow the owner’s manual! If you hang stockings on your fireplace, do not use the fireplace for fires.

Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten. Keep them away from children.

Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.

Be Cautious With Portable and Space Heaters - Place space heaters at least three feet away from anything combustible, including wallpaper, bedding, clothing, pets, and your decorations. Turn off space heaters when you are not in the room or when you go to bed. Don't leave children or pets unattended with space heaters, and be sure everyone knows the drying wet mittens or other clothes over space heaters is a fire danger.

Make sure that you have a fire extinguisher in your home that is easily accessible. More importantly, make sure that everyone knows how to use it and when to use it!

WINTER DRIVING

Designate a sober driver when attending a party or use a taxi or public transportation to get home. If you are hosting a holiday gathering, be sure there are non-alcoholic beverages for guests who are driving.

Buckle Up. Make sure your passengers are buckled up or secured in approved safety seats, according to local laws.

Have your car thoroughly checked, including your tires. If you have chains for the tires, be sure you know how to put them on!

In addition to standard safety measures, allow for additional traffic on the road. Give yourself plenty of time to arrive alive. Watch out for other drivers who may be inebriated or less careful than you are. Avoid eating heavy meals which could lead to drowsiness.

Be alert for potential thieves. Keep windows rolled up and car doors locked, even when you are driving. Cars have been stolen and drivers have been mugged at stoplights and stop signs.

PETS

Don't give your dog table scraps, especially from rich, fatty meals. These kinds of foods can give your dog diarrhea or make him/her vomit. The dog will become dehydrated and die. If your dog gets ill, take him or her to the vet right away.

Don't feed your pets chocolate or alcohol. Theobromine (a caffeine derivative) and caffeine can be toxic to some pets, especially in large amounts. Symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, panting, muscle tremors, seizures, and even death.

Hang breakables, tinsel, holiday plants, and other tempting decorations well out of paw’s reach. Tinsel, ribbon, and ornaments are especially dangerous to pets if chewed and swallowed.

Make sure your lights; wires, and extension cords are out of reach. Pets, especially puppies, often try to chew them and may get badly burned, shocked or electrocuted.

Secure the tree. Cats often see trees as excellent climbing posts.

Don’t leave your pet home alone for the holidays. Also, remember the less fortunate pets in shelters who may appreciate treats in the holiday season.

Tinsel is shiny and attractive to pets, easily ingested, but not digested. If your pet may have eaten tinsel, consult a vet right away. Ingesting ribbons can also cause intestinal obstructions.

FOOD

Clean your range and oven before the holidays. Extra use and any built-up grease can be a fire hazard.

Keep all cookware, utensils, and preparation areas clean.

When cooking, do not wear loose fitting clothing. (Hot burners can ignite loose clothing.) Always turn pot handles inward. Don't store items on the stovetop so they won’t catch fire. Keep kitchen appliances clean and in good condition, and turn them off after use. Don’t use appliances with frayed or cracked wires.

When transporting foods to and from parties, keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. If this is a problem bring a dish that doesn’t require refrigeration or heating, such as fresh fruit, bread, pie, etc.

Use a meat thermometer to be sure inner sections of your turkey or roast reach the right temperature

Don’t leave leftovers out for more than two hours

Don’t eat food at buffets that may be questionable, even if a friend of yours brought it. For example, avoid eating foods with mayonnaise, especially if they have been sitting out at room temperature for several hours. (You probably don’t need the extra calories anyway!)

CHILDREN

Avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable (like glass), keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach to avoid accidental ingestion, inhalation, or choking. Metal ornament hooks can get caught in curious mouths. Use ribbon or yarn instead of hooks to hang your ornaments.

Avoid decorations that resemble candy or food that could be tempting.

A tabletop tree is a good choice because it is higher off the floor. Otherwise, place a multi-sectioned gate around the tree.

Avoid presents of toys that are associated with a high injury rate. (Tens of thousands of people are treated in emergency rooms each year for injuries related to BB and pellet guns – and most of these are children.)

Teach children what to do in an emergency, just in case. Place emergency numbers by the phone.

Don’t place poisonous plants, such as Mistletoe, Boston and English Ivy, and Holly berries within reach of children or pets.

Keep children close when shopping. Kidnapping doesn’t stop during the holidays.

WINTER STORMS

Prepare for a power outage, just in case. Some of the things you should have on hand include:

Non-perishable foods (remember that your electric can opener will be useless.)
Stored water (a gallon a day per person, minimum)
Medications
Flashlights and extra batteries
Extra cash
Radio (maybe a wind-up)
Extra toilet paper!!!!

OFFICE

Make sure that office decorations are not placed in exit corridors or anyplace where they may obstruct view of exit signs, fire alarm pull stations, fire extinguishers, or hose cabinets.

Don’t hang anything from fire sprinklers!

SECURITY

Secure your house. Lock the doors and windows to curb temptation.

Don’t display gifts in plain view. When seen through a window, gifts can be a tempting sight for burglars.

Don’t advertise your new “toys”. New VCR, TV, and computer boxes placed on the curb are advertisements for burglars. Break down boxes and place them in a bag or take them directly to the dump, instead.

Make it look like someone’s home. Use timers and don’t set all lights to turn on and off at the exact same time, as it will indicate timers are being used. Set a radio to a talk radio station, and set it on a timer to play for several hours a day. Have your mail and newspapers held or have neighbors pick them up. Neighbors can also park in your driveway, if you don’t have a garage, so it appears that your house is occupied.

Don’t give out your keys. Don’t leave extra sets of keys in your car or leave house keys where burglars can find them easily.

Be wary of giving out credit card information. Many con artists find it easy to manipulate the holiday spirit.

Don't flash cash and beware of pickpockets. Don’t dangle a purse from your shoulder, as someone can cut the strap and take it easily. Hold your purse tightly under your arm, and make sure it’s zipped up or secured shut. Wallets should be carried in front pockets, especially front inside jacket pockets. Don’t carry everything in the same place.

Don’t park in the dark.

Stay alert and always pay attention to people walking in front of you and behind you.

Don’t overburden yourself with packages.

Closely supervise your children and don’t allow them to stay in the car alone.

Store everything valuable in the trunk, out of view.

Avoid putting your purse or fanny pack on hooks or door handles in a public washroom or store dressing room.

If you take packages to your car and plan on returning to the store or mall, drive your car to a new location in the parking lot. Criminals look for holiday shoppers who simply drop their purchases into the trunk and return to keep shopping.

When returning to your car, have your key ready. Stay alert for anyone lingering in the area. If you have suspicions return to the store and request an escort. Lock your car doors immediately after entering.

If you are unfortunate enough to be thrown in the trunk of a car, try to kick out the rear lights and get another motorist’s attention.

Use caution at ATM machines. Try to use them during daylight hour and protect your PIN at all times.

Beware of strangers who come to your house. Criminals sometimes pose as couriers delivering gifts. Others solicit door-to-door for non-existent charities.

Keep your purse or wallet with you or locked securely in your desk drawer or workstation.

If you see unauthorized persons in places where they should not be, notify your supervisor or your security personnel.

Combat holiday stress by making a sincere effort to have quality time together with family, friends and neighbors. (See the page on stress tips, too.) Also, think about reaching out in the true spirit of the season by helping someone who is lonely or less fortunate.

HAVE A SAFE AND BLESSED HOLIDAY SEASON!!!

ZONE DYNAMICS, INC 2002