Essential Holiday Safety Tips You Can’t Ignore

During the festive season, safety takes center stage as experts emphasize the importance of precautions to avoid accidents. Fred Christian, the safety manager at the Center for Security Forces, advises: “Avoid running cords and wires across common walking areas, keep outdoor steps and stairs clear, and make multiple trips instead of carrying so much you’re unable to see where you are going.”

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that 14,900 people required emergency room treatment in 2023 due to holiday decorating incidents. Cooking-related fires are particularly rampant on Thanksgiving Day.

“Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from all heat sources, including fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, and space heaters,” Christian stresses. “Also, never use your kitchen oven to heat your home!”

The Naval Safety Center offers advice for using turkey fryers: place them ten feet from structures, ensure a level surface, fully thaw the turkey, and keep a dry powder or multipurpose fire extinguisher nearby.

Christian also emphasizes chimney maintenance, recommending inspections by professionals. Space heaters should be equipped with safety switches and turned off before bedtime.

CPSC highlights cooking as a primary cause of home fires, with Thanksgiving experiencing an average of 14,000 cooking-related fires, three times the daily average for the rest of the year.

Christian adds, “People should perform smoke and carbon monoxide alarm checks every month and replace units over ten years old.” Carbon monoxide poisoning is a leading cause of poisoning in the U.S.

Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of a home, inside bedrooms, and near sleeping areas. For the hearing impaired, special alarms, strobe lights, or bed-shakers are recommended.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that Thanksgiving is the busiest road travel period. In 2022, there were 326 traffic fatalities, with 43 percent of victims not wearing seatbelts and 35 percent of drivers impaired by alcohol on the eve of Thanksgiving.

Christian advises careful travel planning: “Plan early, ensure you have an emergency kit, be well rested, leave early, and expect heavy traffic. Most importantly, ensure everyone in the vehicle is buckled in, regardless of the trip’s duration.”

The Center for Security Forces trains over 20,000 students annually in Force Protection, Expeditionary Warfare, Code of Conduct, Law Enforcement, and Small Craft Operations. It upholds the ethos: “Where Training Breeds Confidence.”