At the National Traffic Safety Institute (NTSI), we care about our students’ safety both on and off the road. In the spirit of promoting safe environments, we are publishing a series of tips to help you stay clear of harm’s way. We hope that you benefit from these timely and informative features.

Christmas Safety Tips

Christmas is a special time of the year for families. NTSI recommends the following safety tips to keep the holiday season joyful.

Christmas Tree Safety:

• Consider an artificial tree as they are much safer and cleaner
• A real tree should not lose green needles when you tap it on the ground
• Cut one inch off the trunk to help absorb water
• Leave the tree outside until ready to decorate
• The tree stand should hold a minimum of one gallon of water
• Check the water level daily
• Make sure the tree is secured and cannot be knocked over
• Keep the tree away from all heat sources
• Use miniature lights that have cool-burning bulbs
• Always turn off the tree lights when going to bed or leaving the house
• Never use candles even on artificial trees
• Dispose of the tree properly after the holidays

Home Safety:

• Make sure you have a properly working fire alarm
• Use only outdoor lights on the exterior of the home
• Never use worn light strings
• Connect no more than three strands of lights together
• Never use an indoor extension cord outdoors
• Avoid overloading wall outlets and extension cords
• Keep outdoor electrical connectors above ground and out of the snow
• Never use electric lights on a metallic tree
• Extinguish fireplace ashes before going to bed or leaving the house
• After parties, check under and around chairs, sofas and other furniture for smoldering cigarettes if there have been people smoking in the house
• Have at least one working carbon monoxide detector in the house
• Have a fire extinguisher available

Resource: www.sosnet.com/safety/christmas