Holiday Safety

The winter holidays are a time for relaxing, entertaining, and spending time with family and friends. Safety might be the last thing on your mind while you make sure everyone is well fed, gets the right presents and cards, and has a good time. Nevertheless, safety is something that should always be a concern. A few easy preventative measures can keep everyone safe and comfortable and out of the ER on Christmas Eve.

Fire Safety

Fire is a crucial aspect to many holiday celebrations. Hanukkah, of course, is not Hanukkah without lighting the candles. Many families put candles in their windows for Christmas, or pile logs on the fire to keep a roaring blaze going. A few common sense steps will keep the fire where it is supposed to be and prevent it from spreading. The US Fire Administration has a number of helpful safety tips for fire safety during the holidays. In summary: Keep your tree watered. This can't be stressed enough. A dry tree is a serious fire hazard and can ignite within seconds. A healthy, wet, well-watered tree is difficult to ignite (the testers at the USFA had to use a propane torch!) and once ignited does not stay lit for long. Don't leave your lights on when you aren't there to appreciate them. Lights can be a hazard for electrical fires and can ignite a tree if it is dry or artificial. Choose your decorations carefully. Look for "flame retardant"  or "fire resistant"  labels on any decoration. This is especially important if you decide to use an artificial tree. Don't burn wrapping paper.  The chemicals used in the paper can give off sparks and dangerous gasses. Use caution when using candles.  Always make sure your candles are stable in their holders  or in your hanukkiah.  Never leave burning candles unattended. Never allow small children to play with candles or leave candles where children might knock or pull them down. Never light candles on a Christmas tree or bring lit candles near the tree. Fireplace maintenance is important. Make sure your fireplace is clean and your flue is in good working order. Keep appropriate cast-iron, brass or steel fire place tools handy at all times so that no one will try to "make do" with a broom or anything else that might ignite. Never leave a fire burning when you are out of the house or asleep; extinguish all fires when you are finished enjoying them. Keep a small fire extinguisher  near the fireplace and easily accesible; familiarize yourself with the directions. Water your tree. It's so important, it's in here twice.

Pet Safety

The holidays can be a stressful time for your pets. If you go to a lot of parties, your pets might miss your company. If you have a party or two at your house, all the strange people and sounds might frighten them.  Keep your pet healthy and happy through the new year with some of these ideas. Pets and parties don't mix. If you're going to have a big to-do at your house, the best bet is to put Buster and Oreo in an off-limits area. (This is assuming that they get along well, otherwise you'll need multiple off-limits areas.) For smaller, quiet gatherings, pets can be loose in the house as long as they don't make any of your guests uncomfortable. Many pets will retreat to a quiet area if they aren't fond of crowds anyway. Make sure that there are enough high surfaces on which your guests can leave plates and cups so that the dogs can't steal a few snacks. If you have open flames or fire, make sure the cats can't (or won't) knock them over. Things you shouldn't feed your pet: Your pet should really only eat pet food or very plain, unsalted human food that you make specifically for him or her. However, there are a few things that you should never, ever give your pet. Chocolate -- highly toxic to dogs. Not good for cats either, but they don't like it much. Alcohol -- it might seem like an amusing idea, but alcohol is bad for any pet. (It's not very good for you, either.) Cooked bones -- raw bones may be ok (consult your vet) but cooked bones are brittle and can shatter, hurting your pet's sensitive gums and esophagus. A more complete list can be found on The Pet Professor. Avoid onions, garlic, coffee, and anything very salty. Pets and Decorations Pets, especially dogs, seem to love creating chaos. This may spell disaster for your carefully decorated tree. Make sure that there is nothing at dog-mouth level that Buster can grab in his teeth. This is especially true of edible decorations like popcorn, cranberries and gingerbread cookies. Make sure that any other decorations are safely out of harm's way. If you have holiday plants around the house, keep them where your pets cannot reach them. If you have cats, better to not get them at all. Poinsettias,  yew,  holly  and mistletoe  are all highly toxic. Most species used as Christmas trees will also cause a number of unpleasant symptoms if eaten. PetCo has a good summary of safety tips for pets and decorations, as well as a few other things. Outdoor Safety Winter wonderlands can be a lot of fun for your pet, but there are a number of dangers in the great outdoors. Antifreeze is dangerous to pets, even in small amounts. Don't let your dog or cat lick anything off the driveway or garage floor. Salt on the sidewalk can severely irritate the sensitive parts of a dog's paws. Salt can also irritate any open cuts on the paw, and may be toxic if your dog licks his or her paws after a walk. Although they may appear a little silly, booties for dogs  are good protection from road salt. Make sure your dog is warm when you go out. If you have a breed with short hair, or an especially small breed, a winter coat  can protect him or her from severe cold and wind. Dry your dog off thoroughly after walks in the snow. Surprise Pets Never give a pet as a gift unless the recipient knows that he or she will be recieving a pet. Unwanted "Christmas puppies" are cute when they are little but often wind up in shelters when they are full-grown adults. Before buying a puppy or kitten, considering giving an animal the gift of a good home by adopting. Petfinder.com can help you find pets of all types up for adoption in your area. Be Prepared Keep the phone number of your veterinarian's office and your first aid kit handy. If there is an animal emergency hospital or clinic near you, find out if they will be open on Christmas and New Year's. This way, if your usual vet is closed for the holidays, you will have somewhere to go in case of an emergency. If your pet is expecting a litter, make sure you go over what you need to do to help her deliver in case it happens while your vet is away.

Alcohol Safety

Don't drink and drive. Really. Don't do it. Be responsible for your guests. Don't allow anyone to drink to excess. Provide snacks and plenty of non-alcoholic drinks at any party you host. If possible, take the car keys of anyone who drives to your party. Only give them back if you are convinced your guest is able to drive safely. Make sure you have a few extra places for guest who need to crash. A couch is usually enough, but have pillows and blankets readily available. Know your limits. If you know that one glass of champagne will make you tipsy, then only have half a glass. Have a snack before you go to a party. Did I mention that you shouldn't drink and drive? MADD

Food and Drink Safety

Make sure all meat and poultry is cooked thoroughly. A good cooking thermometer is essential to getting the bird done enough to be safe but not overcooked. The same rule applies to eggnog.  Homemade eggnog should be cooked to 160 degrees before serving it to any guest. Cooking it will kill any salmonella bacteria from the eggs. You can also use pasteurized eggs  or premade eggnog without worry. This page from the University of Minnesota has more information. You can't always accomodate every food preference or allergy. However, if you serve a wide menu, you will probably have something for everyone. Ask your guests if they have any serious food allergies, and do the best you can to accomodate them. A few helpful websites: FoodSafety.gov -- links to various governmental agency suggestions for holiday safety. Oznet -- holiday food safety quiz.

Safety Around the Home

Keep all walkways and driveways well-shoveled  or clear them with a snow thrower. Salt  or sand  any areas where guests will be walking. Make sure your ladders are in good condition before using them to hang up decorations. Don't string any lights in such a way that guests might trip on an extension cord. Even though you should have checked your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in October when you set your clocks back, the holidays are a good time to check them again (or for the first time).