Keep safety in mind when decorating
Hospital emergency rooms treat about 12,500 people each year for injuries, such as falls, cuts and shocks, related to holiday lights and decorations.
Christmas trees are involved in about 300 fires annually, resulting in 10 deaths, 30 injuries and an average of more than $10 million in property loss and damage.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission suggests following these tips to
make your holiday a safe one:
Trees
• When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and do not break when bent between your 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.
• When setting up a tree at home, place it at least three feet away from fireplaces and radiators. Be sure to keep the stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of foot traffic, and do not block doorways with the tree.
Lights
• Indoors or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory. Use only lights that have fused plugs.
• 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. Replace burned-out bulbs promptly.
• Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord. Make sure the extension cord is rated for the intended use.
• Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house wall, or other firm supports to protect the lights from wind damage. Use only insulated staples to hold strings in place, not nails or tacks. Or, run strings of lights through hooks, which are available at hardware stores.
• Turn off the lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.
Decorations
• Use only non-combustible
or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial
icicles of plastic or non-leaded metals.
• Never use lit candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down.
• In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.
2003 October
Roundup For Safety
Report
Applications Received
& Approved:
Hope Pregnancy Center
Swan River School
1 Application Denied
Roundup For Safety is a voluntary program for FEC members. Participating members allow their electric bill to be rounded up to the next dollar, with the extra money going into a fund for community safety projects.
Applications from non-profit groups are considered each month by a board of directors representing each Co-op district.
For information and application forms, call 751-4483 in Kalispell and 293-7122 in Libby.