Red Cross offers safety tip for holiday season

With the holiday season in full swing, the American Red Cross of Southern Nevada reminds residents that safety is paramount, whether it’s decorating the tree or the house, using the fireplace or ensuring that toys are safe.

When buying an artificial tree, look for the label “Fire Resistant.” The label does not mean the tree won’t catch fire but indicates the tree will resist burning and extinguishes quickly.

When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent, 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.

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

Cut a few inches off the trunk tree to expose the fresh wood. This allows for better water absorption and will help to keep your tree from drying out and becoming a fire hazard.

Use noncombustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Buy tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.

Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use nonflammable holders and place candles out of children’s reach.

Take care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to avoid the child swallowing or inhaling small pieces. Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food, which might tempt a child to eat them.

Wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with spun glass “angel hair.” Follow container directions to avoid lung irritation when using with artificial-snow sprays.

Indoors or outside, always use lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory that indicates conformance with safety standards.

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.

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

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.

Before using lights outdoors, check to ensure they have been certified for outdoor use.

Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls or other firm supports to protect the lights from wind damage. Use insulated staples to hold strings in place, not nails or tacks, or run strings of lights through hooks. Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with ground fault circuit interrupters to avoid potential shocks.

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

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 wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result, as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.

Before lighting any fire, remove all greens, bows, papers and other decorations from the fireplace area. Check to see that the flue is open.

Make sure your home has working smoke alarms. It’s one of the easiest ways to protect your home and family.

If your home does have working smoke alarms, practice your fire escape plan with family and ensure children know what a smoke alarm sounds like, and what to do when it goes off.

Before buying a toy or allowing your child to play with a toy that he has received, read the instructions carefully. If the toy is appropriate for your child, demonstrate its proper use.

Follow recommended age ranges on toy packages. Toys that are too advanced could pose a safety hazard for younger children.

To prevent both burns and electrical shocks, don’t give children under 10 a toy that must be plugged into an electrical outlet. Instead, buy toys that run on batteries.

Children under 3 can choke on small parts contained in toys or games. Government regulations specify that toys for children under 3 cannot have parts less than 1.25 inches in diameter and 2.25 inches long.

Children under 8 can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. Remove strings and ribbons from toys before giving them to young children.

The Red Cross offers disaster preparedness training through the Be Red Cross Ready program, which helps families and individuals become ready for an emergency. Through online materials, participants learn skills to evacuate safely and efficiently from a home fire, emergency or disaster area. Learn more about Red Cross Ready at https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies.html