The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is responsible for protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with consumer products. They have compiled some pretty surprising data on holiday decorating injuries, so if you find yourself in the hospital emergency room from a holiday decorating injury this year, you will certainly not be alone.
Last Year’s Stats
According to the CPSC, during November and December 2014, there were 12 fatalities and 145,000 injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms all related to some type of holiday decorating fiasco. This equates to an average of 240 injuries per day during the holiday season!
The consumer protection organization said the top reasons for injuries were falls, lacerations, back strains, and ingestion of foreign objects. The CPSC suggests following the tips below to avoid decorating disasters.
- Exercise extreme caution on ladders. The CPSC says that 36 percent of holiday decorating injuries are the result of falls, and half of those are falls from ladders.
- Check live Christmas trees for freshness. Keep them away from heat sources. Make sure to keep trees watered.
- The CPSC suggests buying fire resistant artificial trees. Not as fun, but much safer.
- Keep lit candles away from trees. Also keep candles away from wreaths, curtains and furniture.
- Examine Christmas light sets for damage. Discard all sets with cracked or broken sockets, frayed or exposed wires, and loose connections. It is recommended to buy lights that show markings of a safety testing laboratory. Fires from holiday lights caused ten deaths last year.
- Keep small decorations away from children. Tiny decorations are huge choking hazards.
- Avoid decorating with sharp, weighted, or breakable decorations. Lacerations were the top-reported decorating-related injuries last year!
Consult With A Florida Injury Lawyer
If you do wind up suffering from an injury this holiday season, always see a doctor first, and then speak to a Florida Injury Lawyer at Whittel & Melton. Your initial consultation with us is free, and we can help you determine if you have valid claim. Contact us online or call us today at 866-608-5529.