Merry and Bright - and Safe

Fire and light safety tips for the holiday season


The holiday season is a special time of year but one that has greater safety risks than usual. The dry evergreen tree, those candles and electric lights you use to decorate or set the holiday mood, or the cosy fire you have blazing in the fireplace can all be fire hazards.

Here are some precautions you can take to prevent fires and help you and your family stay safe to enjoy the festivities of the season.

Decorative electric lights

-Use lights and extension cords that are in good condition and that have been certified by a recognized organization - the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC or cUL).
-Inspect cords and lights for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets/plugs, excessive kinking or wear. Check the cords periodically when they have been on for a while; they should not feel warm. If you find any of these signs, replace with an approved (CSA, ULC or cUL) product, or don't use.
-Never remove the ground pin, or file the wide peg of the plug, as this interferes with the electrical grounding.
-Never put extension cords through doorways or under carpets.
-Do not leave holiday lights on unattended. Turn off the lights when you leave work, and at home, turn them off when you are asleep or away.
Follow the manufacturers' instructions about how many sets of lights that can be strung (plugged in) together. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet (safer than working with a plugged in extension cord that is conducting electricity).
-Do not overload electrical outlets.
-Use only indoor lights and extension cords indoors, and outdoor lights and cords outdoors.
-Use mini or LED lights - they have cool-burning lights, and LED lights use less electricity.

Candles and oil lamps

-Place lit candles in stable holders (not wood or plastic) that cannot burn and are large enough to collect dripping wax. Place them where they cannot be easily knocked down.
-Trim candle wicks to a height of 5-7 mm (1/4 inch) before lighting the candle and again every 2-3 hours to prevent high flames.
-Do not go near a Christmas tree with an open flame - candles, lighters or matches, and never use lit candles on live or artificial trees.
-Keep burning candles one metre away from anything that can burn (e.g. papers, cloth, or drapes).
-Never leave a candle unattended. Extinguish it before you leave the room.
-Keep burning candles out of reach of children and pets.
-Avoid using decorative oil lamps with liquid fuel (usually poisonous) if you have young children in your household. If you do use them, keep the fuel locked away out of reach of children.

Keeping it real - the Christmas tree

-Cut trees become dry quickly and most will last about 14 days. If you are decorating a live tree for the workplace, you may want to take it down before people leave for holidays.
-When buying a live tree, give it a shake. Needles will fall if the tree is dry because it was cut too long ago. Pick a tree that does not lose its needles and with a trunk that is sticky to the touch.
-Cut 2 to 5 centimetres from the trunk of the tree to encourage the tree to drink more water.
-Water the tree. Ideally, it should have a sturdy stand that holds about 4 litres of water. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
-Use a preservative in the water. If you are concerned about small children or pets drinking the water, use a small amount of sugar instead.
-Keep the tree away from heating vents or registers, fireplaces, high traffic areas, and exits so it won't dry out prematurely. As well, try to position the tree so you do not have to use long extension cords.

Decorations

-Buy only decorations and artificial trees that are non-flammable or flame resistant.
-Do not use angel hair (glass wool) together with spray-on snowflakes. This combination burns very easily.
-Do not use metallic ornaments on the tree. If they make contact with defective wiring they could become a shock hazard.
-Do not use nails, tacks, or staples to hang cords and lights. They can damage the wire, cause corrosion, or create a short circuit.

Fireplaces and wood stoves

-Always use a secure screen in front of your fireplace.
-Have the chimney cleaned at least once a year to prevent chimney fires.
-Burn hardwood which will leave less creosote in the chimney.
If using firelogs, follow the manufacturer's instructions and burn only one log at a time.
-Never burn wrapping paper in a fireplace. It can create a very large fire, with dangerous sparks and embers that could cause a chimney fire.
-Make sure the fire is out before going to bed or before going out.
-Ensure that the chimney is drawing well so that wood smoke does not come into the room.
-Keep children away from gas fireplaces. When in use, the glass doors can become hot enough to cause serious burns.

General fire safety tips

-Do not leave cooking food unattended on a stove.
Keep cooking areas free of flammable objects (such as potholders and towels) and avoid wearing long, loose-fitting sleeves that could ignite over the stove burner when cooking.
-Never smoke in bed or leave burning cigarettes unattended. Do not empty smoldering ashes in a trash can.
-Keep portable space heaters away from anything that could catch fire such as the drapes or slip covers.
-Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of the home, including the basement, especially near rooms in which people sleep. Test them once a month, and replace batteries twice a year.

Have a safe, healthy and happy holiday.

Fran

P.S. Here is a link to a Christmas gift for you http://www.franwatson.ca/Memories.zip

5 Gifts From The Heart

This is from an email I received today and I thought I would share it.


5 Gifts from the Heart

The gift of listening: At a social event or a sales call, listen carefully to what people bring up. Those topics are important to them. Ask questions and really listen to the answers.


The gift of attention: Is someone telling you what's bothering or worrying them? Give them your full attention. It works wonders in understanding their needs, and making them feel valued.

The gift of time: We live in a time-pressed world. Instead of doing two things at once, mentally slow down and be in the moment (when you have time, of course!).


The gift of humor: Laughter draws people to you. Take a moment to laugh with your clients, friends and family. A small dose of humor produces very positive side effects.

The gift of thanks: Take a moment to give sincere thanks to everyone who has helped you this year.

And now I'd like to thank you for giving me a few moments of your precious time each week. I wish you all the best for the holiday season and New Year.

Warmest wishes,

Lynda

Lynda@LyndaGoldmanInk.com


I hope you enjoyed this

Fran
P.S. Here is a Christmas gift for you - I compiled a book with Christmas Carols, Christmas stories and recipes. I hope you enjoy it. http://www.franwatson.ca/Memories.pdf

Life Is Too Brief Sometimes

Last Friday morning at 4:56 am, December 4th, 2009 my brother died. He was two years younger than me. He was much too young to die.

My mom, his son and my sister were all able to see him before he died, thanks to two of his friends (Terry & Wendy) who had gone down to visit him. They were able to get him to the hospital and contacted my sister who flew down to Florida right away and then she contacted my mother, his son (age 26), and me. We flew down the next day and went straight to the hospital where his son had to make the very tough decision to pull the life support and let him go. I stayed the night with him and was with him as he breathed his last breath. Then we got to deal with the red tape of getting his body from Florida to Toronto.

We spent 3 1/2 hours in a funeral parlour while a gentleman filled out paperwork. We thought he was the janitor as he greeted us in jeans and a shirt that looked like it had been attacked by cats - it had picks all over it. Where was the suit and the solicitous concern that is shown by the funeral directors and staff in our Canadian funteral homes? He even went on to tell us what he would do with my brother's body, things his son did not need to hear at that time. We learned that the body could not be shipped out for almost a week due to the Health regulations that had to be followed in order to get the required paperwork, since this was Friday afternoon and he could do nothing more until Monday.

My brother had gone down to Florida at the end of October to finalize the renovations on the condo that he had bought. He had barely moved in when he became too sick to enjoy it. We were to have joined him for Christmas this year, but the cancer took him too soon.

Life will not be the same without him.

At his funeral service, there were several people who spoke about him - a business partner, his sailing club, the Lion's Club (he had been given an Award of Merit that had only been given out 6 times in the past 28 years just last year), his riding club, his cousin, and myself. Each talked about the lives he had touched, the many things he had done and what a wonderful person he was. They touched on his love of "beer, butt, bike and books" as well as his caring and love of family and friends, and the number of people who attended attested to the fact that he touched many lives.

Life for the rest of us goes on......... but you will be missed - Rest in peace my brother. I pray that you are finally at peace.

Your big sister
Fran