Top safety tips for your Christmas
21 December 2018
Fire Safety
Trees and Lights
Decorating a Christmas tree, whether it be real or artificial, with lights is a time that all of us look forward to around Christmas time. But it is important to take steps to ensure your house and your family are safe while. Did you know that cooking was the source of hundreds of house fires in 2017, with most of these occurring during the Christmas period.
Here are some top tips!
- Place real Christmas trees securely in a sturdy base filled with water – metal stands cause trees to dry out and become flammable.
- If you do use a metal stand – have a bowel of water underneath with a wet towel -make sure to check the towel daily and add more water when necessary.
- Always turn the Christmas tree lights off before going to bed, remember to unplug the lights rather than just turning it off at the switch.
- Always buy lights with the safety standard mark on it.
- Never leave the kitchen unattended if you have food on.
Candles and fires
Christmas is a time where we all look forward to sitting in front of the fire with candles lit around the room looking very pretty and creating a lovely ambiance. However this time of year can also open our homes up to more fire hazards than usual.
Here are some top tips!
- Consider switching to battery operated tea lights
- Never put candles on or near the Christmas tree
- Always use a secure holder for candles and place them somewhere they wont get knocked over
- Don’t put too many candles beside eachother, 4 inches between candles is a safe distance
Food safety
Food is a major part of Christmas, from the morning fry to the Christmas Dinner and the leftover sandwiches, however please take care to cook and store food properly, the last thing you want over the holidays is a stomach bug or worse.
Here are some top tips!
- A typical large turkey takes two days to defrost. An FSA survey found that 69% of those who choose frozen turkey thaw it unsafely
- While defrosting always place it in the fridge on the bottom shelf covered in in a container to hold any thawing juices to avoid any cross contamination.
- Any leftovers should stored in an airtight container in the fridge and be consumed within 2 days
- Opened or cooked food should be left standing at room temperature for no longer than 2 hours and 1 hour for rice.