Holiday safety musts, from lights to home security

Published 5:08 pm Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Here’s our annual holiday warnings with help from the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors and the National Fire Protection Agency.

Decorating

Use flame-resistant, flame-retardant or noncombustible materials.

Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials.

Avoid sharp or breakable ornaments in homes with small children.

Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food, which may tempt a young child.

Place older ornaments and decorations that might be painted with lead paint out of the reach of children and pets.

Trees

Look for the label “Fire Resistant” for artificial trees.

A fresh tree should be green, and its needles hard to pull from branches and do not break when bent.

Place tree away from fireplaces, radiators or portable heaters.

Cut a few inches off the tree trunk to expose the fresh wood. Be sure to keep the stand filled with water.

Make sure the base is steady so the tree won’t tip over easily.

Lights

Never use electric lights on a metallic tree.

Be sure lights have been certified for outdoor use.

String lights through plastic hooks, not nails or tacks.

Make sure there are no frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections.

Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with ground fault circuit interrupters.

New, inexpensive remote controls can be used to safely turn off exterior decorations.

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

Use heavy-gauge extension cords (the lower the gauge-number the better the extension cord).

Entertaining

Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the United States. Remember to keep an eye on the range.

Turn pot handle in when cooking on the stove.

When finished with electric heating appliances, unplug them from the outlet.

Test your smoke alarms and tell guests your fire escape plan.

Fireplaces, wood stoves

Remove all greens, boughs, papers and other decorations from the firebox area. Do not burn wrapping papers.

Make sure you burn only clean, dry firewood.

Open the damper.

Have a sturdy fireplace screen on the fireplace.

Ashes can stay hot for up to 48 hours. Dispose in a metal container with a lid and place at least 15 feet from any structure.

Children and pets

Keep poisonous poinsettias out of reach of children or pets.

Avoid using tinsel. Ingesting it can cause anything from mild distress to death.

Inspect wrapped gifts for small decorations, which are choking hazards.

Security

Ask a friend to pick up your newspapers and mail.

Lock doors and windows when you leave, even for a few minutes.

Use automatic timers for lights, and radio or TV.

Gifts should not be visible through windows or doors.

Visit James and Morris Carey’s Web site at www.onthehouse.com or call 800-737-2474 Saturdays from 6 to 10 a.m. The Careys are also on KRKO (1380-AM) from 6 to 10 a.m. every Saturday.