Essential Holiday Safety Tips: Give Your Loved Ones The Gift of Safety

November 19, 2020

Lights, presents, parties: the holidays are a time to reconnect with family and friends, but they also can present unique safety hazards. Keep your home safe with our tips to help lay the foundation for a peaceful holiday season.

Holidays on The Road:

The roads are a lot busier during the holidays. It’s essential to keep an eye out for distracted pedestrians and drivers, especially when backing out of parking spaces.
Commit to keeping your phone away while driving. No text is worth the risk.
Have a designated driver if you will be drinking alcohol. The consequences of drunk driving are not worth the risk and can result in jail time.
Buckle up every time you’re in the car, whether it’s a road trip to visit family or a quick trip to the mall.
Check your car seat before holiday travel. 73% of car seats are installed improperly or used incorrectly, so it’s best to check your child’s before you hit the road.

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Home for the Holidays:

Food Safety

For many, the holidays often mean having family and friends together for dinner. The tips below will help with safer meal preparation and serving:

Clean, separate, cook, and chill food to help prevent foodborne illnesses.
Create a kid-free zone by teaching younger children to stay at least 3 feet away from the area you’ll be cooking.
Keep hot foods or liquids out of reach of children and pets.

Fire Prevention & Decorating Precautions

Water live trees daily. When the tree’s needles are dry, they can catch fire easily.
Turn off any decorative lights before leaving the house or going to sleep. Regularly check lights for exposed wires and loose connections.
Keep candles and matches out of reach. Candles should be 12″ away from anything flammable, and always blow them out before leaving the room or going to sleep.
Ensure all smoke alarms are working on every level of your home, including inside bedrooms. Create a fire escape plan with family members and review it with guests.
Keep harmful plants out of reach. Holiday plants, including mistletoe and holly berries, are poisonous to children and pets. In a poison emergency, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.

Give the Gift of Safety

Read any instructions and warning labels before purchasing toys for children. Make sure the gift is appropriate for the child’s age and development.
Toys for older children may contain small pieces that can pose a risk to curious, younger siblings. Separate toys by age, if possible.
When a product is recalled, manufacturers infrequently advertise the recall to warn parents. Always check toy recalls before purchasing a gift.

COVID Precautions:

The holidays bring opportunities to celebrate family traditions and meaningful moments with loved ones. Experts agree that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic means our typical holiday gatherings will look quite different this year. Follow the tips below to protect you, your family, friends, and your community from COVID-19.

Holiday Shopping

Stay home and quarantine if you have tested positive, are waiting on test results, or have symptoms of COVID.
Consider purchasing gifts online rather than visiting stores in person.
If you plan to holiday shop in person, check COVID-19 activity in your community on the Arizona Department of Health Services website.
Use social distancing by staying 6 feet away from others when shopping. Always wear a mask in public and while you’re around people who don’t live in your home.
Apply hand sanitizer after leaving every store.
Wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap and water for 20 seconds when you get home.

Be a Responsible Host

If you plan to have guests in your home, as the host, you should communicate about what is expected ahead of time. Here are some tips:

Consider the health of those in your household and guests visiting. This includes the elderly and individuals with medical conditions that put them at higher risk.
Designate a room in your house where an individual can isolate if they develop symptoms or test positive while visiting.
Remind your guests of the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing.
Ensure that soap and sanitizer are readily available, and wipe down frequently touched surfaces with sanitizing wipes or cleaner.

Holiday Dinner

If possible, in-person events and activities should be held outdoors.
Avoid shopping for holiday meals in person by purchasing groceries online.
Consider single-use disposable utensils and dishware.
Encourage guests to wear a mask except while eating and maintain 6 feet of distance.
Wash and disinfect guest areas before and after holiday gatherings.

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Make Holiday Safety a Tradition

The holiday season is a festive time of year filled with traditions and family gatherings. At Zanes Law, we want you to have a happy and safe holiday season. If you or a loved one suffers an injury during this time, we want to help. Give us a call at (833) 648-3699 for a free consultation or fill out our contact form. Our personal injury attorneys will discuss your legal options and fight for the compensation you deserve.

We wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season!

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