WELCOMING HOLIDAY GUESTS OPENS THE DOOR TO ADDED HOME INJURY RISKS

The Home Safety Council® Encourages Families to Keep Safety at the Top of their Holiday List to Protect Guests of All Ages from Injuries

As the holiday countdown draws closer, many families are busy preparing to welcome friends and relatives of all ages into their homes. In fact, a recent study by the national nonprofit Home Safety Council found that more than 40 percent of adults plan to host friends and family in their homes this holiday season.

Before hanging the mistletoe and finalizing the holiday menu, the Home Safety Council urges families to take another look at the safety of their home. Evaluating each room of the home from a different point of view is especially important for those welcoming older adults and young children, two of the age groups most at risk for home injuries.

“The holiday season can be hectic and when several generations come together under one roof, it’s important to take special precautions to keep everyone safe,” said Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council. “To keep an injury from spoiling your holiday gathering, set aside time to take a quick safety tour of your home and make the simple changes needed to correct any hazards before your first guest arrives.”

Protect Holiday Guests of All Ages from Home Injuries

A few simple changes like storing medicines, cleaning supplies, and matches and lighters in a locked place where children cannot see or touch them and installing grab bars in tubs and showers, can go a long way toward keeping all holiday guests safe. Follow the Home Safety Council’s recommended safety steps below to help everyone in your home enjoy an injury-free holiday season.

• Check the lights over all stairways, hallways, porches and entries to ensure all bulbs are working and are bright enough.
• Stick to the maximum safe wattage, which is often printed inside the light fixture.
• Put non-slip strips or rubber mats in all tubs and on shower floors.
• Put sturdy grab bars inside the bath and shower area. Towel holders are not strong enough to support weight – don’t use them as grab bars.
• Place nightlights inside bathrooms and in the hallways leading to them.
• If your guests will include babies and toddlers, get safety gates. Place them at the tops and bottoms of stairways.
• If you have an attached garage and/or fuel-burning heat or appliances, you need a carbon monoxide (CO) detector. Install one on every level of your home, especially near sleeping areas.
• Put emergency numbers by every telephone. These include 9-1-1 and the National Poison Control Hotline – 1-800-222-1222.
• Look for products in your home with the words “Caution,” “Warning,” “Danger,” “Poison,” or “Keep Out of Reach of Children” on the label. Lock products with these words on the label up high and keep them away from food and drinks.
• Stay in the kitchen when anything is cooking on the stove.
• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from space heaters.
• Make sure there is at least one working smoke alarm on every level of your home. If your smoke alarms are 10 years old or more, replace them with new alarms (they don’t last forever!).
• Push the test button to make sure all smoke alarms work. Put a new battery in any alarm that doesn’t signal during the test.
• If you have not put a new battery in each alarm within the past year, do it now.
• When guests arrive, walk through your home fire escape plan with them. Point out all the exits. Show guests where to meet you at your outside meeting place
• If possible, have older adults sleep in a bedroom on the ground floor.
• Prevent hot water burns by turning your water heater temperature to 120˚Fahrenheit.
• Use toilet seat locks if children live in or visit your home. Use a door knob cover or put a high lock on the outside of bathroom doors to keep children out when you are not with them.
• Be aware that buckets, spas, pools/ponds, tubs and all standing water are a serious drowning risk for very young children.
• Children can choke on small things like buttons, coins, jewelry and toys. If something is small enough to fit in a toilet paper tube, it is not safe for little children. Make sure these items are put away out of children's reach before babies or toddlers come to visit.
• Read the labels of all toys before you let children play with them. Make sure the child is old enough to use that toy. The label will tell you the safe age.

For more information and resources on how to stay safe during the holiday and winter season, visit www.mysafehome.org.