Holidays A Time For Joy And, Unfortunately, Injury

MIAMI (CBS4) - From finding the best deals to getting into the holiday spirit to decorate your home, the onslaught of the holiday season is one of the busiest times of year.

But it's also the start of one of the year's most dangerous times.

"During the two month holiday seasons last year about fourteen thousand consumers were treated for injuries related to holiday decorating. this includes holiday lights, christmas trees, candles and ornaments," Inez Tenebaum of the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned.

The problems are getting worse according to Uncle Sam.

Holiday-related injuries have continued to incrementally grow from 12,000 back in 2009, to 13,000 in 2010 all the way up to 14,000 last year.

To show how fast a holiday fire can spread in a home, federal safety officials set up a live-fire demonstration: And whether it started from an unwatched candle, a short-circuited set of holiday lights, or a dried out Christmas tree the flames can spread dramatically after just a few minutes.

"Every year we have to remind people of the hidden dangers in the holidays," Tenenbaum explained, "dangers when their tree dries out from fire, using candles and leaving them unattended, broken ornaments that can cause lacerations, and holiday lights that can be an electrical hazard also a fire hazard".

To keep your family as safe as possible....Uncle Sam recommends:

• Checking out any lights or wiring and replacing any damaged electrical ornaments.
• Keep a close watch on any candles or open flames.
• Look for the freshest tree possible if you're in the market for a real Christmas Tree and keep them moist and away from any walls of anything that can burn.
• Also make to keep young children away from potentially dangerous toys their older brothers or sisters may be getting over the holidays.

For more Information from the Consumer Product Safety Commission:

Click here and here.

Here are some more safety tips from the CPSC to keep you safe during the holidays:

Trees and Decorations

1. Buying live trees? Check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, its needles are hard to pull from branches, and its needles do not break when bent between your fingers. The bottom of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.
2. Setting up a tree at home? Place it away from heat sources, such as fireplaces, vents, and radiators. Because heated rooms dry out live trees rapidly, be sure to monitor water levels daily, and keep the tree stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of foot traffic, and do not block doorways with the tree.
3. Buying an artificial tree? Look for the label: "Fire Resistant." Although this label does not mean that the tree will not catch fire, it does indicate that the tree is more resistant to catching fire.
4. Decorating a tree in homes with small children? Take special care to avoid sharp, weighted, or breakable decorations. Keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children, who could swallow or inhale small pieces. Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.

Candles

5. Keep burning candles within sight. Extinguish all candles before you go to bed, leave the room, or leave the house.
6. Keep candles on a stable, heat-resistant surface where kids and pets cannot reach them or knock them over. Lighted candles should be placed away from items that can catch fire, such as trees, other evergreens, decorations, curtains and furniture.

Lights

7. Use only lights that have been tested for safety by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Lights for both indoor and outdoor usage must meet strict requirements that testing laboratories are able to verify. On decorative lights available in stores, UL's red holographic label signifies that the product meets safety requirements for indoor and outdoor usage. UL's green holographic label, signifies that the product meets requirements for only indoor usage.
8. Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Throw out damaged sets and do not use electric lights on a metallic tree.
9. Check each extension cord to make sure it is rated for the intended use and is in good condition. Do not use cords with cuts or signs of fraying.
10. Check outdoor lights for labels showing that the lights have been certified for outdoor use, and only plug them into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI)-protected receptacle or a portable GFCI.

Fireplaces

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

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

In:
• Fire