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Holiday Safety Tips
PERSONAL SAFETY
- Always walk with your head held high and aware of who is behind you and on all sides of you.
- Lock
your car doors when driving on city streets, UNlock your car doors
when driving on freeways. (In case of accident so that you'll be freed
by a passerby if needed. A locked door on a highway accident makes it
difficult to remove you to safety.)
- Always carry your driver's
license or identification card with you. Do not carry anything with you
that you will not need. (I.e. social security card or extra credit
cards you do not plan on using.)
- Shop in pairs or with a group.Don't venture out for night shopping alone.
- Don't Leave Friends www.dontleavefriends.com when going out to establishments together. You came together, you leave together.
- Don't leave drinks unattended nor leave with strangers.
- Never drink and drive
- Carry
no more cash than absolutely necessary. If you are carrying cash,
safeguard your money by carrying it in your front pocket. Never display a
large amount of cash. If possible, pay by check, credit card or debit
card.
- Take an inventory of your purse or wallet. Write down the
phone numbers of your credit card providers. Carry the phone numbers
separate from your purse or wallet. Notify the credit card issuer
immediately if your credit card is lost, stolen or misused. Keep a
record of all your credit card numbers in a safe place at home.
- Avoid
wearing expensive jewelry in public settings when others are not
displaying the same. (Ex: at holiday parties where everyone is wearing a
bit more expensive jewelry, not while shopping.)
- Try to avoid
carrying a purse or wallet. If you must carry a wallet, place it in
your front pocket. If you are carrying a purse, carry it securely
across your body. Never leave your purse unattended, open in a shopping
cart, or on a counter.
- Don't leave cell phones, purses, CD
cases or other items of value in your vehicle where they can be seen.
Always conceal items of value. Lock purchased merchandise in the trunk
of your vehicle.
- Park in a well lit area and lock your vehicle. If you valet park, only leave the ignition key. Take your other keys with you.
- If you are approached by a stranger with a deal that sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
- Never
meet someone from CraigsList for a holiday purchase unless in a public
parking area near a police station and with someone in attendance with
you. Do not meet at their homes, nor they at yours. If you're buying a
larger item that needs delivered (furniture, etc.) be sure you have
all of their identifying information BEFORE you give your address. Have
someone with you and note their license plate, as well.
- Be
cautious when ordering online. Use reputable shopping sites and research
the new sites for references prior to placing orders.
- Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave the house, even for a few minutes.
- When leaving home for an extended time, have a neighbor or family member watch your house and pick up your newspapers and mail.
- Indoor and outdoor lights should be on an automatic timer.
- Leave a radio or television on so the house looks and sounds occupied.
- Large displays of holiday gifts should not be visible through the windows and doors of your home.
- Report
thefts immediately, no matter how insignificant. Police use crime
reports to determine how to better serve the public. Call 9-1-1
CHILDREN
- If possible, leave small children at home with a trusted babysitter.
- Use
your cell phone and take a photo of the kids prior to leaving the
house. Should one wander off in a mall you will have their exact photo,
clothing, etc.
- Teach your child to go to a store clerk and ask for help in case your child is separated from you.
- Teach children to stay close to you at all times while shopping.
- Never allow children to make unaccompanied trips to the restroom.
- Children should never be allowed to go to the car alone and they should never be left alone in the car.
- Teach
children their full name, address and telephone number to give to
police officers or mall security. Teach children to immediately inform
you if a stranger is bothering them.
Trees
- When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant."
- When
purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green,
needles are hard to pull from branches and needles do not break when
bent between your fingers. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with
resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many
needles.
- When setting up a tree at home, place it away from
fireplaces, radiators or portable heaters. Place the tree out of the way
of traffic and do not block doorways.
- Cut a few inches off the
trunk of your tree to expose the fresh wood. This allows for better
water absorption and will help keep your tree from drying out and
becoming a fire hazard.
- Be sure to keep the stand filled with water, because heated rooms can dry live trees out rapidly.
Lights
- Check
all tree lights--even if you've just purchased them--before hanging
them on your tree. Make sure all the bulbs work and that there are no
frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections.
- Never use
electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with
electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
- Some
light stands may contain lead in the bulb sockets and wire coating,
sometimes in high amounts. Make sure your lights are out of reach of
young children who might try to mouth them, and wash your hands after
handling them.
- Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be
sure they have been certified for outdoor use. To hold lights in place,
string them through hooks or insulated staples, not nails or tacks.
Never pull or tug lights to remove them.
- Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with ground fault circuit interrupters to avoid potential shocks.
- Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.
Decorations
- Use
only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree.
Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals.
- Poinsettias are known to be poisonous to humans and animals, so keep them well out of reach, or avoid having them.
- Never
use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use
non-flammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked
over.
- In homes with small children, take special care to avoid
decorations that are sharp or breakable. Keep trimmings with small
removable parts out of the reach of children to prevent them from swallowing or inhaling small pieces. Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a young child to eat them.
- Wear
gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with spun
glass "angel hair." Follow container directions carefully to avoid lung
irritation while decorating with artificial snow sprays.
- Remove
all wrapping papers, bags, paper, ribbons and bows from tree and
fireplace areas after gifts are opened. These items can pose suffocation
and choking hazards to a small child or can cause a fire if near flame.
Toy Safety
- Select
toys to suit the age, abilities, skills and interest level of the
intended child. Toys too advanced may pose safety hazards for younger
children.
- Before buying a toy or allowing your child to play with a toy that he has received as a gift, read the instructions carefully.
- To prevent both burns
and electrical shocks, don't give young children (under age 10) a toy
that must be plugged into an electrical outlet. Instead, buy toys that
are battery-operated.
- Young children can choke on small parts
contained in toys or games. Government regulations specify that toys for
children under age three cannot have parts less than 1 1/4 inches in
diameter and 2 1/4 inches long.
- Children can have serious stomach and intestinal problems - including death -- after swallowing button batteries and magnets. In
addition to toys, button batteries are often found in musical greeting
cards, remote controls, hearing aids and other small electronics. Keep
them away from young children and call your health care provider
immediately if your child swallows one.
- Children can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons; do not allow children under age 8 to play with them.
- Remove strings and ribbons from toys before giving them to young children.
- Watch for pull toys with strings that are more than 12 inches in length. They could be a strangulation hazard for babies.
- Parents should store toys in a designated location, such as on a shelf or in a toy chest, and keep older kids' toys away from young children.
Food Safety
- Bacteria are often present in raw foods. Fully cook meats and poultry, and thoroughly wash raw vegetables and fruits.
- Be
sure to keep hot liquids and food away from the edges of counters and
tables, where they can be easily knocked over by a young child's
exploring hands. Be sure that young children cannot access microwave
ovens.
- Wash your hands frequently, and make sure your children do the same.
- Never put a spoon used to taste food back into food without washing it.
- Always keep raw foods and cooked foods separately, and use separate utensils when preparing them.
- Always thaw meat in the refrigerator, never on the countertop.
- Foods that require refrigeration should never be left at room temperature for more than two hours.
Happy Visiting
- Clean up immediately after a holiday party. A toddler could rise early and choke on leftover food or come in contact with alcohol or tobacco.
- Remember that the homes you visit may not be childproofed. Keep
an eye out for danger spots like unlocked cabinets, unattended purses,
accessible cleaning or laundry products, stairways, or hot radiators.
- Keep a list with all of the important phone numbers you or a baby-sitter are
likely to need in case of an emergency. Include the police and fire
department, your pediatrician and the national Poison Help Line,
1-800-222-1222. Laminating the list will prevent it from being torn or
damaged by accidental spills.
- Traveling,
visiting family members, getting presents, shopping, etc., can all
increase your child's stress levels. Trying to stick to your child's
usual routines, including sleep schedules and timing of naps, can help you and your child enjoy the holidays and reduce stress.
Fireplaces
- Before lighting any fire, remove all greens, boughs, papers, and other decorations from fireplace area. Check to see that the flue is open.
- Use
care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on
wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense
gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten. Keep them away from
children.
- Do not burn gift wrap paper in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.
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