Every year, emergency departments across the US treat people who got hurt while decorating for the holidays. A physician offers some tips to help prevent that.
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CLEVELAND - Now that Thanksgiving is officially over, many people are dusting off their decorations and getting ready to deck the halls.
And if you’re one of them, it’s important to keep safety in mind.
“We see falls related to holiday decorating every year in the emergency department. Ladder safety is probably the biggest one that I can stress,” said Carole Parsons, MD, emergency medicine physician for Cleveland Clinic. “When you climb ladders, make sure that it is firmly planted on the ground and ideally have somebody with you to make sure that that ladder's secure.”
Dr. Parsons said another easy way to fall is by reaching out too far while you’re up on the ladder trying to hang Christmas lights.
It’s best to get down and move the ladder over to the next spot.
And speaking of Christmas lights, be sure to inspect them first.
Anything with frayed wiring or broken bulbs should be thrown away since they can pose a fire hazard.
Overloading your electrical outlets can also be dangerous.
Experts recommend using multiple outlets around the room instead.
As for Christmas trees, artificial trees should be ‘fire resistant’ and live ones need to be watered.
“Live trees tend to dry out as you get closer to the holiday season. So, you do want to make sure that you water them very frequently and keep them away from fireplaces or other fire sources in your house,” Dr. Parsons advised.
According to the Consumer Safety Product Commission, last year nearly 15,000 people were treated in emergency departments due to holiday decorating-related injuries.