December Newsline

It is a Great Day at SERVPRO!!! This is the fifteenth in a series of educational newsletters about the mitigation, restoration and cleaning aspects of property damage claims. Our purpose is to provide timely information to avoid unnecessary additional damage, address safety, and decrease disruption time to your property.
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Holiday Fire-Safety Tips

As the holidays approach, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging people to look for and eliminate potential dangers from holiday lights and decorations that could lead to fires and injuries.

Each year, hospital emergency rooms treat about 8,100 people for injuries, such as falls, cuts, and shocks related to holiday lights, decorations, and Christmas trees. In addition, Christmas trees are involved in more than 400 fires annually, resulting in 30 deaths, 90 injuries, and an average of more than $17 million in property loss and damage.

Have a safe and happy holiday season by following these safety tips.

Trees
1) When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." Although this label does not mean the tree won't catch fire, it does indicate the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.

2) When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green; needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.

3) When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces and radiators. Because heated rooms dry live trees out rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.


Lights
1) Indoors or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory, which indicates conformance with safety standards.

2) Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections, and throw out damaged sets.

3) Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.

4) 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.

5) Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.

6) For added electric-shock protection, plug outdoor electric lights and decorations into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). Portable outdoor GFCIs can be purchased where electrical supplies are sold. GFCIs can be installed permanently to household circuits by a qualified electrician.

Candle Care
1) Avoid Using Lit Candles
If you do use them, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down.
Never leave the house with candles burning.

2) Never Put Lit Candles on a Tree

Fireplaces
1) 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.

2) Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.