Stop: 3 essential safety tips for putting up your Christmas decorations
Putting up Christmas decorations signals the start of the
festive season!
The ritual of decorating the tree and stringing up the Christmas
lights is one of the most exciting times of the year. But, watch
out guys – you need to stay safe here too. Failure to follow a few
simple safety tips could result in accidents, especially when
putting up lights and decorations or when working at height. Follow
these 3 essential tips to keep you and your family safe this
Christmas.
1. Test Your Fairy Lights
According to the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), 1,000 people are injured each year when
decorating their homes for Christmas and a further 350 injured by
their Christmas lights. Injuries include falls when putting up
lights and burns from faulty lights.
Test lights before you string them up and
store them wrapped loosely. When putting them up, use a stepladder or
an access tower. Never try to hang decorations by
balancing on a chair or table.
2. Take Care When Decorating
Outdoors
Outdoor decorations can transform any outdoor
space into a twinkling winter wonderland, but it’s really important
to take care when decorating outdoors, especially when installing
lights on roofs and porches. The Safety Pro Tower System can be used on
stairways and the telescopic stabilisers mean that it can be used
on uneven ground, making it ideal for use on grass or gravel
outside the home. Use lights, decorations and extension cords
designed for outdoor use and ensure that you follow manufacturer’s
safety instructions during installation.
3. Buy the Right Size Christmas Tree
for Your Home
According to RoSPA, another major cause of
injuries includes falling when decorating the higher branches of
the tree as well as accidents while sawing the tree to the right
size.
Measure the height of your room as well as
doorways that the tree will have to fit through before buying and
when working at height decorating the very top branches,
use Platform Steps for a safe and stable working
platform.
Did you know that during the festive period,
over 80,000 people will require medical attention for injuries and
falls? That’s a lot of people. Protect yourself and your family by
following these safety tips – we don’t want you getting hurt this
Christmas. Have a good one!
