3 On Your Side: Holiday Decoration Hazards
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The holidays are full of excitement, but decorations can provide their share of hazards too, for adults and especially for small children. 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan tells us about some basic precautions you can take to ensure that you have a Merry Christmas and not end up in the emergency room.
A demonstration by the Consumer Product Safety Commission showed just how hazardous holiday decorations can become -- a tree with dry branches, an open candle flame, or an electrical fire sparked by damaged lights. A holiday celebration could become deadly, in this case, in less than 30 seconds.
Inez Tenenbaum, Chairwoman of the CPSC says, "There are four things that we see in terms of an injury list -- candles, Christmas tree lights, dried-out Christmas trees that cause fires, and decorations."
While adults need to stay mindful of those holiday hazards, the little things shouldn't be overlooked, small details that can cause big problems for children.
Tenenbaum says, "Be careful when you choose decorations for your tree, or other places in the house, and make sure they don't look like food or candy because young children think that they are, and try to put them in their mouths."
In addition to the choking hazards presented by small ornaments and light bulbs, child safety organizations also advise keeping kids away from burning candles that can be tipped over.
According to Safe Kids CEO Kate Carr, "If you're using real candles, keep it away, at least three feet away from anything that can burn and an alternative is using one of the electric candles that don't have a real flame, but look really kind of lovely."
Extinguish any candle before going to bed or leaving the home and unplug lights on the tree, so your holiday festivities don't go up in flames.
Here is something to think about: the government estimates that more than 13,000 people were treated last year in emergency rooms for injuries involving putting up holiday decorations. Those injuries include everything from falls from ladders while stringing lights, to cuts resulting from broken glass ornaments.
