Keep Safety in Mind When Decorating for the Holidays

Decorations help make the holiday season a magical time of year - especially so in 2020, when so many of us are looking for something to lift our spirits. 

Stores are awash in color and twinkling lights, and similar imagery is on display in private homes.

Designing holiday displays can be a great way for families to spend time together and kick off the celebration. In fact, according to Electrical Safety Foundation International, around 90 percent of Americans decorate their homes for the holidays.

When trimming the tree and decorating this holiday season, families must keep safety in mind. A little planning and some precautionary measures can ensure displays are enjoyed all season long.

"Holiday decorations make your home look great, your neighborhood inviting and bring joy to passersby. But staying safe is important too," said Jill Durnen, owner of Hartman Insurance.

Auto-Owners Insurance offers the following holiday decorating safety tips.

• Don't overload your tree with too many light strands
• Keep your tree at least three feet away from any heat sources
• Keep your Christmas tree out of the way of an exit
• If you have a real Christmas tree, keep it watered 
• Replace old Christmas tree light strands
• Turn off the lights before leaving your house or going to bed
• Don't decorate your Christmas tree with lit candles
• Use the right type of lights for the location you are displaying them
• Only use lights that have been tested by a recognized laboratory
• Throw your Christmas tree out after the holidays, or when it's dry

Also:

• LED lights should be used whenever possible. Such lights consume less energy and run cooler than other bulbs.
• The ESFI says candles start almost 50 percent of all decoration fires. Minimize the risk by using candles only when they can be monitored. Artificial candles can be used in place of real candles.
• Check for freshness in live trees. A fresh tree will last longer and is less of a fire hazard than an old tree.
• Pay attention to the age recommendations of decorations to see if they can be used in homes with young children. Some items, however common, are choking or strangulation hazards.
• Avoid putting small, mouth-sized decorations near the ground or on lower limbs of trees, where young children can easily reach them.
• Exercise caution when hanging decorations at high heights. Make sure the ladder is secured and have a spotter who can hold the ladder and pass items up safely.
• Outdoor electric lights and decorations should be plugged into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters, or GFCIs.
• Exercise caution when decorating near power lines that extend to the house.
• Keep hung stockings far away from open flames so they do not catch any errant embers.

These are just a few suggestions for decorating a safely for the holiday season.

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