Christmas Safety Tips to Consider While Decorating

Who doesn’t love Christmas? From selecting the right Christmas tree to decorating it and then your entire home, it’s a time of the year that just feels magical.

It can also feel tiring, because you have to cook tons of meals for family and guests, not to mention clean the house. The point is, it’s really easy to forget a stove turned on or accidentally set your Christmas tree on fire, regardless if it’s real or artificial.

It’s surprising how little it takes for an accident to happen, but the good news is it’s all preventable. You just need to follow some Christmas decoration safety tips and you should be good to go.

Now, here are some Christmas safety tips to consider while decorating at home. Safety at christmas is no joke, so let’s get serious before we become jolly.

Christmas tree fire safety

Let’s start with christmas tree safety. The thing that everyone thinks about when they hear the word “Christmas” is a gorgeously decorated Christmas tree. If you are planning on getting a real one, it’s very important to keep it away from heat sources, such as fireplaces, air conditioners, electric heaters, etc.

Real trees are highly flammable due to sap in their needles. So you must be very careful when choosing where to place them. A burning tree can fill a room with fire in just a few minutes.

For those opting for a real Christmas tree, select one that is fresh and resilient. Fresh trees have needles that are vibrant and difficult to pull off. That reduces the risk of drying out and becoming a fire hazard.

Remember to keep your tree watered and fresh, too. The drier it is, the bigger the fire threat it poses. When choosing a Christmas tree, pay attention to the needles. They will be green and hard to break if the tree has been cut down recently.

Do you know what is the biggest cause of house fires at Christmas? According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Christmas trees were responsible for 47 house fires, across the UK, between 2011 and 2012.

Artificial Christmas tree safety tips

Artificial trees are handy and less messy, but they can still be a fire risk if you’re not careful. When buying one, look for a “fire resistant” label — it means the tree is treated to slow down burning if something goes wrong. Consider buying resistant Christmas decorations too, while you’re ad it.

If your tree has built-in lights, give the wires a quick check before you set it up. Bent or frayed wires can spark and cause trouble. Swap out any broken bulbs or damaged sections.

Keep your tree away from heaters, fireplaces, and candles. Even fire-resistant trees can catch fire if they get too hot.

And before you head to bed or go out, unplug the lights. It takes only a second and keeps your home much safer.

Electrical safety at Christmas

Let’s talk about Christmas lights safety. Is it safe to leave Xmas lights on? Inspect your Christmas tree lights for any loose connections, damaged plugs and wires which can cause a fire. Improperly stored, old and broken electrical decorations can be a fire hazard as well.

Thus, be sure to always read the electrical safety tips written on the Christmas lights’ pack and check if they’re recommended for indoor use. For example, LED Christmas lights are fireproof, don’t produce heat, making them more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

However, regardless of what type of lights you go with, beware of outlet and extension cord overload. Christmas lights must always be safe for use, without any broken bulbs or exposed cables. Always turn them off before going to bed or when you intend to leave the house.

National Accident Helpline says that more than 1 in 40 (2.7%) people have suffered an electric shock due to badly wired Christmas lights.

Christmas candles safety tips

Scented candles contribute to the holiday atmosphere perfectly, however, one should always acknowledge the open flame that comes with them. So, here is another Christmas safety tip. Place any candles you have on a sturdy base away from surrounding objects and combustible materials.

Never leave a burning candle unattended or go to bed without blowing it out first. An alternative is to use electric flame candles, they are much safer and effective. Never hang lit candles on a Christmas tree and ensure they are in stable candleholders.

RoSPA also reveals that in 2011/12 around 1,000 fires are caused by candles, resulting in nine deaths and 388 injured.

Child and pet safety during Christmas

Choose shatterproof ornaments and non-toxic Xmas tree decorations to reduce the risk of injury. Opt for softer, child-friendly materials that won’t cause harm if handled by small hands or paws. Child and pet-proof your Christmas decorations.

Sometimes it doesn’t matter how high you hang the decorations, your kids will somehow find a way to reach them. Therefore, we recommend using non-breakable ornaments. Small or sharp decorations pose choking and injury hazards, especially for young children and pets. Opt for larger decorations and place small items out of reach.

Beware of poisonous festive plants

The most highly poisonous festive plants that many people are unaware of are mistletoe and holly. While they are quite pretty to look at, the berries they produce are extremely toxic and eating too many can even prove deadly. This is one of the reasons mistletoes is so hard to come by sometimes.

If you really insist on having holly or mistletoe in the house on Christmas eve, be sure to snip off all of their berries as they appear. It takes only twenty holly berries and even fewer mistletoe ones to lead to something fatal.

Overall, you should skip on holly and mistletoe, especially if you have any children or pets in the house.

Safety Christmas cooking

Don’t leave cooking for the last moment and give yourself enough time to prepare the perfect Christmas dinner. Sometimes it can be challenging to balance meal preparation with all the Christmas excitement going on in the background. This can often cause people to forget about the food they are cooking. Fire accidents caused by forgotten food are very common at this time of the year.

National Accident Helpline shares that over the Christmas period there have been 400,000 burnt Christmas turkeys.

So It can be helpful to know what to do if your oven catches fire.

Safety Christmas tree disposal

When the Christmas tree disposal time comes, many people are wondering if it’s safe to burn their tree in the fireplace. Absolutely not! Since you have been watering the tree the entire holiday in order to keep it as fresh as possible, it will not be dry enough to burn (even if it is – just don’t do it). Burning sap from fresh trees can stick to the inside of the chimney and potentially result in a chimney fire. 

On the other hand, if the Christmas tree is fully dry and seasoned, it’s not worth the burning. A burning Christmas tree is hard to control and will burn faster than you expect. Pine and fir trees also produce creosote (flammable gas) when burning, causing build-ups on chimney walls.

For your safety instead of burning the Christmas tree, use a Christmas tree disposal service.

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