Preventing Holiday Home Hazards
In anticipation of the holiday season, you may be excitedly planning for joyful gatherings and hanging festive decor like twinkling lights around your home. But amid all this merriment, it’s crucial that you remain cautious about potential hazards—fail to do so, and your celebrations could turn into calamities. Check out some of the most common seasonal home perils, and learn what you can do to help safeguard your loved ones, property, and finances.
Fire hazards
According to the National Fire Protection Association, the number of house fires across the nation increases in fall and winter, with December taking the lead. This makes it essential to install fire alarms on every floor of your home, check them monthly, and establish a fire-safety plan with your family. (You can find more detailed fire-prevention tips on the American Red Cross website.) In addition, take these specific precautions against some of the biggest fire threats spurred by the holidays.
Festive features
Christmas trees are emblematic of the season for many, but they can also easily become fuel for fires if you don’t follow best practices. Live ones can ignite surprisingly fast when they get too dry, so check your tree for water daily, making sure the trunk is submerged in the stand at all times. And whether it’s live or artificial, place it at least three feet away from fireplaces, radiators, or other sources of heat.
Particularly popular around the holidays, candles can pose just as much of a threat if you don’t take proper precautions. Be careful to light yours on heat-resistant surfaces at least a foot away from anything flammable, and never leave lit ones unattended (or leave children or pets unattended near them). Finally, don’t overload sockets with excessive plugs and inspect your string lights for frayed wires before hanging them to prevent electrical fires.
Kitchen disasters
Cooking holiday meals can also put your home at increased risk of fires, especially if you want to try your hand at deep-frying a turkey. Always follow recipe instructions closely, wear well-fitted clothing that won’t droop onto hot surfaces, and keep a close eye on any food cooking on the stove. Also, make sure your kitchen is stocked with a fire extinguisher (which it should already be), and verify that it isn’t expired so it’s ready to go in a pinch.
Burglaries
Criminals have their own unique ways of savoring the season, namely by helping themselves to your valuables. Upcoming gift and decor shopping may stuff your stoop with goods that could tempt thieves, while traveling to visit relatives or taking winter vacations could leave your home vulnerable to crimes, including vandalism, break-ins, and theft of costly possessions like electronics and jewelry.
However worrisome these risks may be, there are numerous simple preventative measures you can take to help reduce them. Upgrading your security features with smart locks, sensor cameras, and full home-security systems, for example, can ward off burglars. And if they don’t, they can enable you to take swifter action and provide useful evidence when filing an insurance claim. Such security may not stop porch piracy, though, so consider having shipments sent to a nearby Amazon locker or having the postal carrier hold your packages for in-person pickup rather than leaving them exposed (even briefly) at your front door.
Clumsy incidents
Hosting around the holidays can be a thrill, but it can also lead to some unexpected mishaps. Increased foot traffic, more wires being strewn about, and added clutter like stacks of presents could increase the likelihood of trips, slips, and falls. In addition, potentially icy weather can make guest arrivals or departures perilous, particularly if you’re serving adult beverages.
To keep your guests safe, do a walkthrough of your home’s exterior and interior before every gathering. Check that your walkways, driveway, and front patio are clear of obstacles and slip hazards, and consider applying extra deicing agents to make sure they remain that way. Inside, clean up any clutter that could get caught underfoot, obstruct access to stairways if possible, and pen antisocial pets well away from your guests. It’s also a good idea to keep any children monitored at all times. Taking such steps may help reduce the risk of an injury ruining an otherwise joyful event.
Practicing a little precaution can go a long way toward ensuring a smooth holiday season. For added peace of mind, safeguard your property with a sufficient homeowners insurance policy in case something does go wrong, checking in with an insurance professional to review your coverage limits and protected perils. Once you know your bases are covered, you can look forward to enjoying your celebrations and creating cherished memories with those you love most.