The most traumatic moments during the holidays and how to avoid them

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

New Year's holidays are the most dangerous time of the year. Follow these simple tips to keep yourself and your family safe and not ruin your vacation.

Danger of falling when hanging garlands and decorations

Most of the time, people go to the hospital for injuries from falls during this time of year. Moreover, in order to earn a concussion, fracture or sprain, it is not at all necessary to fall from a great height. To protect yourself from injury, follow simple rules.

• Don't drink alcohol while hanging garlands and other decorations.
• Don't decorate your apartment alone. It is better to have someone else nearby who can help or at least call an ambulance if something happens to you.
• Check the ladder before use. Make sure all steps are intact and dry.
• Install the ladder correctly. Place it only on a flat surface. It is best to have someone hold it while you are standing at the top.
• Do not let children climb stairs. If they want to help, have them hand you jewelry or support the stairs.

Even if you have already calmly hung all the garlands, do not forget about these safety rules. They'll come in handy when it's time to take off your jewelry.

Danger to start a fire

Garlands and candles create a cozy, festive atmosphere, but can easily start a fire.

• Buy safe garlands: they must have a fire safety certificate. Pay attention to the garlands with LED bulbs, they consume less energy and are less likely to overheat.
• Check the garland before use. Do not turn on strings with cracked bulbs, exposed or frayed wires, or other damage.
• Try to keep the lit candles visible. Be sure to keep them away from children and pets. Keep burning candles away from flammable objects (curtains, furniture, tinsel, and other Christmas tree decorations).
• Consider the option with an artificial tree: the new models are specially made from fire-resistant materials.

Do not forget, no matter what kind of tree you have, artificial or live, it should not be placed next to heat sources.

Danger of slipping and breaking something

To protect yourself from slipping, remove ice from driveways to your home and garage. Here special reagents will come in handy to help get rid of the ice. Try to fill them in before the snow falls. For example, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride or simple rock salt are suitable.

Add some sand or cat litter to this mixture. If the snow has already fallen, clear it as much as possible and then add your mixture.

Danger of getting hurt when decorating the tree

Setting up a tree is actually quite a dangerous undertaking. The trees are much heavier than they look, so don't try to plant your holiday tree alone. Otherwise, you can easily stretch your back or shoulder, injure your spine, or simply fall. Do not forget about this after the holidays when you clean up the tree. When lifting it, try to keep most of the load on your legs, and not on your back.

When decorating a Christmas tree, there are also safety rules that should be borne in mind. It is better not to use glass toys: they break easily, and you can cut yourself with fragments. Heavy or sharp toys may fall and injure someone.

If you have small children, do not hang decorations that look like sweets or other foods, and avoid small toys with removable parts. The child may well swallow them by mistake and choke.

Danger of injury when unpacking gifts

You probably think that this will not happen to you, but injuries (not only scratches, but also deep cuts and puncture wounds) when unpacking gifts happen quite often. Especially when people use the wrong items for this.

So put aside kitchen knives (especially poorly sharpened ones), scissors, and other inappropriate tools. If you nevertheless decide to open gifts with a knife, take a safe knife (it is equipped with a special spring that automatically pulls the blade inward if contact with the working surface is lost). Be sure to cut away from you and be careful not to get the knife into the hands of children.

If young children are having trouble opening gifts on their own, help them unpack them.