How to Plan for Holiday Safety

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

During the winter holidays, the last thing anyone wants to worry about is staying safe and being overly cautious. However, between the influx of people traveling, the cold weather making us want to light the logs in the fireplace, and the extra guests and visitors running around the house to share the celebrations, there are an increased number of potential holiday dangers. To help you prepare for this festive season, we rounded up some holiday safety tips to keep your family safe.

Keep an emergency kit in your car.

Traveling during the holidays is almost always stressful, especially when you throw wintery weather conditions into the mix. Always be prepared to face bumps in the road by keeping an emergency travel kit in your car at all times. You’ll want your kit to contain contact information for road side assistance, a flashlight and extra batteries, a cell phone charger, a first aid kit, a few bottles of water and some type of sustenance like power bars or cereal bars.

Restock supplies before you travel.

Check your car’s emergency kit before every road trip to make sure it’s fully stocked. You’ll never know that your kids found the secret granola bar stash or realize you used up all the bandages at Little League games until you check! Granola bars or power bars are long-lasting and don’t spoil, so they’re a great option to keep stashed for a couple years. But check the best by labels before each road trip just to be sure.

Check smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.

Unfortunately, hundreds of families every holiday season come home from vacation to learn that a fire has damaged or destroyed their home. Fires can spring up at the most unsuspecting times, which is why it is extremely important to check your smoke detectors before leaving for holiday vacations. You should also routinely check the fire extinguishers in your home to make sure they are still functional and stowed in a safe place.

Buy safe toys for kids.

Choosing toys to give your kids over the holidays should be given some cautious thought in order to avoid any hazards or injuries. Buy age-appropriate toys and always looks for safety labels. Additionally, you should always pick up safety gear like helmets or elbow pads to accompany sports-related toys like skateboards or bicycles.

Eliminate potential fire hazards.

Survey your home and see if you spot any potential fire hazards near candles, fireplaces, trees, and electrical connections. If you notice any frayed wiring or old tree hanging awfully close to electrical connections, call your electrician to have these taken care of ASAP—especially if you’re about to take a trip. Additionally, you should try to use only nonflammable holiday decorations and make sure to regularly water your Christmas tree.

Switch to LED holiday lighting.

Consider switching to LED lighting to decorate your home during the season, and you’ll not only save hundreds of dollars on electricity costs, but you’ll also reduce the risk of fires. LED lights use less energy than incandescent light bulbs, which makes them cooler and less likely to spark fires in and around your home.

Keep candles, matches, and lighters away from children.

It is important to make sure that lit candles, matches, lighters or any other fire related objects are out of reach from children. Especially during the holidays when extended family and friends visit with young children, you’ll need to exercise control over these potential fire hazards to avoid any harm and injury to your guests and their families as well as your own. We hope these fire safety tips for the holidays as well as our other holiday safety preparedness tips will help you better plan for a safe winter this year. Everyone at SOS Survival Products wishes you a happy and safe Holiday Season!