Decorating for the holidays could be hazardous to your health: Here's why
Late last month, a 24-year-old man was fatally electrocuted while hanging Christmas lights at his family's home in Southern California. Days later, a contractor in Massachusetts installing lights on a large Christmas tree was revived by emergency responders after suffering a life-threatening electrical shock.
Both accidents are among the latest incidents leading officials to renew their annual calls for electrical and fire safety when it comes to Christmas trees, string lights and other holiday decorations.
About 160 Christmas decorating-related injuries occur each day during the holiday season, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Nearly half of such incidents involve falls.
During the 2023 holiday season, which ran from Nov. 1, 2022, to Jan. 31, 2023, about 14,900 people were treated at hospitals for holiday decorating-related injuries, the CPSC said.
Safety urged: California man electrocuted while hanging Christmas lights
Here are some safety tips to remember this holiday season:
The CPSC recommends people make sure their live Christmas tree has plenty of water. When buying an artificial tree, the commission says to look for the “Fire Resistant” label.
The agency has long urged people never to leave candles unattended and to use flameless candles whenever possible. Roughly 46% of total decoration-related fires were started by candles in December, compared with about 32% for the other 11 months of the year, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
People should not string together more than three sets of incandescent lights and should never overload electrical outlets, the CPSC says. Officials also recommend checking holiday lights before setting them up each year and getting rid of any that have frayed wires, bare spots, insulation gaps, cracked sockets or excessive kinking or wear.
The U.S. Fire Administration says Christmas trees should be watered daily, as dry trees can burn extremely quickly. The federal agency also recommends Christmas trees to be kept at least 3 feet from heat sources, such as heaters, radiators and fireplaces.
The older and drier Christmas trees get, the greater the fire hazard they present, according to the NFPA. For that reason, it's best to dispose of trees promptly after the holiday or once they become dry.
Hundreds of home fires are ignited by Christmas trees, other decorations
Firefighters responded to an average of 155 home fires ignited by Christmas trees each year from 2018 to 2022, as well as an additional 835 residential structure fires sparked by decorations other than Christmas trees, according to the NFPA.
"These fires caused an annual average of 3 civilian fire deaths, 30 civilian fire injuries and $14 million in direct property damage" the NFPA said in a statement.
Electrical lighting or distribution equipment was involved in 41% of the Christmas tree fires, the association said. An additional 20% of the Christmas tree fires were blamed on lamps or bulbs; 11% were ignited by candles.
Toy-related hazards and how to avoid them
In addition to dangers posed by Christmas trees and string lights, officials are once again issuing warning about toys. CPSC, in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, seized more than 1.5 million dangerous or illegal toys in fiscal year 2024. Just over 102,000 of those seizures were lead related.
Dangers lurking: The holiday gifts, toys and decor most likely to send kids to the ER
Here are some tips on how to avoid toy-related hazards, according to the CPSC:
Follow age guidance and other safety information on toy packaging.
When purchasing riding toys like scooters, buy safety gear as well.
Children younger than 3 should be kept away from small toys as well as toys with small parts. Deflated balloons should be kept away from children younger than 8 years old.
Contributing: Elinor Aspegren, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fires, electrocutions, falls: Tips to avoid dangerous holiday hazards
