How to stay safe this holiday season

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Health Canada is advocating for safety this holiday season, providing some tips so you can stay vigilant.

The department has released the following tips, aiming to reduce risks surrounding decorations, gifts and trees.

Holiday trees

• Put the tree away from heating vents, radiators, stoves, fireplaces and burning candles
• Ensure your tree is green and needles aren’t coming off or breaking easily. Water it to prevent the tree from drying out too soon and throw it away after the holidays or when it’s dry

Holiday lights and decorations

• Use lights that have the mark of accredited certification agencies in Canada, like CSA, cUL or cETL
• Check whether your light strings are meant for indoors or outdoors and use appropriately
• Throw away any frayed or exposed wires, loose connections or broken light sockets
• Don’t plug too many lights and decorations into one outlet. Overloaded circuits can overheat and start a fire

Toys

• All toys should be regulated to make sure they are safe for kids
• When buying toys, look for sturdy and well-made ones that have the manufacturer’s contact information on it
• Read and follow all age labels and safety messages. Toys meant for older kids may have small parts dangerous to small children
• Keep small toys and loose parts or accessories, like button batteries, away from kids three and under

Batteries

Small batteries are a choking hazard to kids to put things in their mouth. If they are not properly used or thrown away, they can cause serious injuries through overheating, leaking, bursting and they could catch fire and explode.

More battery safety information can be found from Health Canada here.

Candles

• Blow out/extinguish all candles before going to bed or leaving the room. Do not leave burning candles unattended
• Don’t burn candles on or near things that are flammable, such as curtains, bedding, clothing or decorations
• Cut candle wicks short to prevent high flames

Fireplace

• Don’t burn wrapping paper in the fireplace. According to Health Canada, it ignites suddenly and burns intensely, resulting in a potential flash fire
• Have your chimney inspected and cleaned by a professional before using your fireplace. Make sure the flue is open before lighting it.

For more information on holiday safety, visit Health Canada’s website.