For much of the world, few occasions are as fun or frantic as Christmas. From cooking up a feast to decorating the house, the festive season involves a massive amount of preparation, stress and panic, often with a boozy and food-stuffed denouement.
However, the stresses, strains and inclement weather experienced in the run-up to Christmas can cause collateral damage. Here then are four tips for staying safe this Christmas, to make sure you can enjoy the festivities without a trip to A&E.
Fire hazards
One of the most potent risks during the Christmas period is the sudden appearance of fire hazards. Your old fairy lights may have seen you through a dozen Christmases, but this might be the year to think about moving on. This is particularly true if the cables have started to fray and the wires have become visible. If they’re broken or acting up in any way, bin them!
Nothing says Christmas to us quite like a proper pine tree with oodles of lavish decorations. Like any other plant however, trees need water – even if it’s the sort that doesn’t drop its needles. If you let your tree dry out, it can become a potent fire hazard, as this video (and a classic Simpsons episode) clearly prove.
Christmas is a cold and dark time of year for the Northern Hemisphere, meaning that sources of ignition – such as log fires and candles – are more plentiful than usual. In order to stay safe this Christmas, make sure you isolate these fire sources properly, and don’t place them too close to easily combustible items. These most commonly include trees, cards, wrapping paper, party hats, Christmas crackers, decorations and streamers.
Toy trouble
For kids, Christmas is synonymous with toys. Even more so than birthdays, the holiday season is a bonanza of superheroes, Lego, and Lego superheroes. Inevitably, it’s also a time of scrabbling for a dozen AA batteries you didn’t realise said toys needed.
Electrocution is usually a minor risk, but be careful buying cheaper electrical goods, particularly from unofficial online sellers. Foreign imports sometimes fail to adhere to rigorous UK and European safety standards, and can pose an electrical or fire safety risk, such as the glut of exploding hoverboards a couple of years ago.
It’s also worth considering whether your toys are entirely appropriate for your child. You may think a Batman toy is a neat gift for an 8-month old, but it may have parts that could cause injury or pose a choking hazard. Many toys have warnings and specific age ratings on the box, so bear these in mind when you’re making that last-minute dash for gifts.
Kitchen calamities
Everyone has their own method for cooking a turkey. To make sure yours meets the food safety test as well as the taste test, weigh it after you’ve stuffed it. Official guidelines state that turkeys over 4kg take 20 mins per kilo + 90 mins; turkeys under 4kg take 20 mins per kilo + 70 mins.
Make sure your turkey is at room temperature before you cook it, but don’t let it sit and wallow for too long. You’ll know when it’s cooked when you skewer the thigh and the juices run clear. If they aren’t, stick it back in the oven for 20 minutes and try again. Try not to skewer yourself either by taking care with sharp knives, and ensuring they aren’t left out for children to grab.
Make sure you don’t cross-contaminate your veggies and meats by using different chopping boards or surfaces. And when storing those leftovers for Boxing Day, cool and cover them within two hours. You should also consume them within two days – enough time for your Christmas calories to settle.
Dangerous decor
Tinsel and lights may be gaudy and flashy, but few of us can do without them. However, we have a weird tendency to hang them in the most awkward places. Whether it’s a tree, porch or roof, even the least competitive Christmas decorators like to put on a show.
As well as ensuring that your Christmas lights are safe – especially important for outdoor lights – you’ll want to be careful of working at heights. Have someone anchor your ladder, and make sure you don’t lean to string lights up. If you can’t quite reach, move the ladder.
This goes for your indoor tree too. Real trees laden with decorations can be top heavy, so ensure they’re anchored properly. Hyperactive kids and tottering adults alike could pull it over, or trip on loose cables. And finally, try to avoid stuffing your plugboard with too many lights and dancing santas. Simpler may not mean better at Christmas, but it will ensure that you stay safe.