While the holiday season is one that is often thought to be full of cheer and peace on earth, it can also be one of great stress and loss. With the holiday season comes, it brings a series of hazards along with it. The best way to make sure that your festive time of the year stays festive is to focus on understanding what those hazards can be!
Fire hazards
Christmas lights are some of the best parts about the holiday season, but they can also be harmful. Checking them over for exposed wires or faulty wiring can help you stay away from this risk and make sure that your home, pets, children and your Christmas tree stay safe.
As well, when cooking, make sure you stay in the room with the food at all times. Whether it’s a turkey in the oven, or a pot on the stove, being attentive while cooking can help reduce your risk of fire in the home.
If you have a fireplace, try to look at getting it checked for soot build-up and other potential dangers so that you don’t have a chimney fire in the middle of the festive spirit. A fireplace is magical but only if it works properly.
Lastly, candles are popular around this time of year, but you should try to remember to extinguish them before leaving the room or going to bed at night. Tiny tricks like this helps protect your home and loved ones from a risk of fire.
Traveling safely
When travelling for the holidays, it’s understandable that you want to share photos with your friends and discuss the holiday over social media perhaps. However, you should also be smart about how and when you do this. Since criminals can see your posts too, it might be helpful to wait to post about your vacation after you get back.
Security in your home while away
When travelling, your home may be at risk by criminals who are looking at abandoned homes that they can sneak into. Try to have your home lights on a timer, or ask a trusted neighbor or a loved one to check in on your home while away. Best case scenario, consider bringing someone into your home to house sit while you travel. This can help ease your mind, too.
Package delivery
Since a lot of us shop online, package delivery is something that is becoming more and more frequent, but it also can lead to criminals driving around neighborhoods and stealing packages right off people’s porches. Consider asking an neighbor to receive your packages, or consider a safe drop box if you are someone who is going to be ordering virtually everything online.
The holiday season is exciting and fun for all age groups. By taking a look at some of these holiday safety tips, you’ll be able to encourage a safer and better holiday for everyone. Not only does it help protect your home and loved ones, it can offer peace of mind to get back to the festivities. Be sure to check out our blog on shopping safely in the stores if you prefer that method of gift buying!
We can’t keep your home safe but should incidents happen, we are there for you on the back end to get through some of these troubled times. However, our goal is to always inform to help prevent from mishaps happening in the first place. Should you wish to review your home insurance coverage, please contact Paula Smith Insurance at (281) 488-8880.