Candles – Handle with Care!
November 1, 2009 by The Staff at Santa's Lighting
We’re pleased to offer the following safety tips from the CPSC for handling candles in your home, not just during the Christmas holidays, but throughout the entire year. “The flickering light of candles can add beauty and tradition to the holidays,” said CPSC Chairman Stratton. “However, when left unattended or within a child’s reach, burning candles can turn your celebration into tragedy. Following a few simple safety tips can help prevent holiday decoration-related fires.”
- Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.
- Keep burning candles within sight.
- Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles out of reach of children and pets.
- In homes with small children, take special care to avoid sharp or breakable decorations, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children who could swallow or inhale small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.
- To avoid eye and skin irritation, wear gloves when decorating with spun glass “angel hair.”
- To avoid lung irritation, follow container directions carefully while decorating with artificial snow sprays.
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
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Safety First!
Each year, hospital emergency rooms treat about 12,500 people for falls, cuts, shocks, and burns due to incidents involving faulty holiday lights, dried-out Christmas trees and other holiday decorations.
Use Quality Equipment!
Indoors or outside, we recommend only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory, such as UL or ETL. This indicates conformance with safety standards. Use only lights that have plugs containing fuses.
Fireplace Safety Tips
• Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that, if eaten, can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting. Keep them away from children.
• Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. Wrappings can ignite suddenly and burn intensely, resulting in a flash fire.
• Place a screen around your fireplace to prevent sparks from igniting nearby flammable materials.