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Holiday Safety Tips

Have a safe and happy holiday season.

Recognize and remove these hazards to keep toddlers and young children safe.

Watch out for choking hazards. Don't put tree lights, ornaments, or other small "mouth sized" decorations near the ground or on the lower limbs of a Christmas tree where a child can reach them easily.
Make sure that all electrical decorations and toys are safety approved and use them appropriately.
Use safety caps on all unused electrical outlets.
Do not run extension cords across walkways or in high traffic areas.
Replace frayed electrical cords with ones that are appropriately insulated and protected.
A child can strangle in as little as 12 inches of cord. If possible, keep children away from electrical cords altogether.
Never leave a child unsupervised when you are cooking. Unattended cooking is one of the leading causes of home fires during the holidays.
Do not give young children toys that must be plugged in to an electrical outlet.
Never use space heaters in rooms where children are unsupervised. Among other hazards, children may stick their fingers or other objects through the protective guards and be burned or shocked.

Check light strings before using them and discard any that have loose connections, cracks, or frays.
When you hang lights, keep electrical connections off wet ground and away from metal eaves troughs.
Outdoor lights should be plugged into circuits that are protected by ground fault circuit interrupters.
Avoid overloading electrical outlets.
Never nail or staple lights to your home, as that can damage the insulated cover and cause a short circuit. Use insulated tape or plastic or wooden hooks instead.
Unplug lights before you change bulbs or try to remove a broken bulb.
Always unplug indoor holiday lights before you leave your home or go to bed in order to prevent fires and save energy.
Never leave any light sockets empty.
Only use approved outdoor light strings and extension cords that are weather resistant, for outdoor light displays, and keep them clear of snow and standing water.

Fuel-run appliances are used more often in the winter, and as a result, the threat of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning increases.

Since CO is colourless and odourless, install a CO detector on each level of your home and especially near sleeping areas.
Test your alarm frequently to make sure it is working properly.
CO detectors also make great Christmas gifts.
Read more about CO.

Never use your natural gas fireplace if the glass panel is removed, cracked or broken. Don't try to replace the panel by yourself, hire a licensed technician instead.
Keep children away from fireplaces.

Dangling cords are a hazard to children and adults alike. Unplug appliances when they are not in use, and move them to the back of the counter.
Keep the cooking area free of clutter
Never leave cooking unattended.
Use care if you are using the outlet on the range. If an element is in use, the hot surface could melt the appliance cord.

Whether celebrating the holidays at home or away, ensure your furnace is working properly.

Have your furnace and venting system checked every year to prevent carbon monoxide hazards, and to keep it working at its best.
Keep holiday clutter out of the furnace room to ensure proper air circulation.
Keep combustible materials like paper, chemicals, paint and cleaning products away from the furnace.
Never use gasoline or other flammable vapours or liquids near your natural gas furnace or water heater.