Getting Holiday Ready

Don’t let your winter holidays go up in smoke.

This is the time of year that some of us start decorating for the holidays. All of us at SCM love to have a well decorated office, and that often extends to our homes. Holiday joy and spirited decorating are good. And to make sure your holidays are safe, we have two considerations for you.

1. Electricity:

Can you imagine the horror of having a fire during this holiday season? In the period between 2025 and 2019, the National Fire Protection Association estimates that, as the second leading cause of fires, there was an average of 46,700 fires in the U.S. each of those years that were directly attributed to electrical failures or malfunctions. These fires caused a yearly cost of $1.5 billion in direct property damage. Thirty percent of these fires occurred between November and February. To see the full report, follow this link.

Does that remind you to double check the wiring on your holiday lights and any electrical heating equipment you might have? It’s a good idea to do so.

2. Christmas Trees:

Another report from the NFPA shows a graphic depiction of what can happen if a

Christmas tree is not kept in water during the holidays. If you can imagine that the tree is more susceptible to fire, you are correct. Watch this youtube link for the approximate 1 minute it takes for the fire from an ignited tree to completely engulf a room.

To read more about dry Christmas trees from the NFPA, follow this link.

The recommended action for live Christmas trees is to extend their life by keeping them in water until it’s time to take the tree down.

Weekly Safety Challenge:

What other holiday safety tips do you have? Share them with your coworkers. Make sure your holidays don’t go up in smoke. Stay safe!