It’s October and Halloween is going to be here before we know it. I have always loved Halloween because I just love an excuse to dress up. Underwriter’s Laboratory is offering up some steps on how to be safe on Halloween.
How to Create a Safe and Spooktacular Halloween
For families across the country, Halloween is the official launch of the holiday and decorating season, which is why it is important for parents to recognize the potential safety hazards that may be associated with many of the season’s celebratory activities.
1. Inspect decorations for loose connections, frayed or bare wires and broken or cracked sockets when using lights to decorate the home for Halloween. When hanging lights, use plastic hooks or clips to reduce the risk of electric shock and fire hazards. Never nail or staple light strings.
2. Keep candles away from items that easily catch fire, such as decorations, window treatments and paper. Halloween is the fifth highest day for reported candle fires. Candles are the cause of approximately 15,000 reported house fires every year.
3. Look for flame resistant labels when purchasing costumes, fabric and accessories. Although this label does not mean these items won’t catch fire, it does indicate the fabric will resist burning and should extinguish quickly once removed from the ignition source.
Then after Halloween it always feels like November and December just fly by with Holidays and things to do. Growing up, I had a huge family. I have two moms and two dads and each of them have four/five siblings so visiting everyone was always a huge ordeal, but still fun. So I know that you will all be very busy this Holiday Season and I wanted to share UL’s tips on staying safe for the rest of the year!
Serve Up a Side of Safety This Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is the No. One day for home fires, which isn’t surprising since Americans will roast, bake, brine, grill and even deep fry more than 45 million turkeys on November 26. This Thanksgiving, UL is offering these simple cooking safety tips to help keep cooks safe in the kitchen, regardless of their level of expertise!
1. Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking: Most fires in the kitchen occur because food is left unattended. If you must leave the kitchen briefly, carry an oven mitt with you as a reminder that something is cooking.
2. Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of emergency and know how to use it: Make sure the fire extinguisher is rated for grease fires and electrical fires and read the directions carefully. The acronym P.A.S.S. can help make sure you use it properly.
· Pull the pin; Aim the spray nozzle low at the base of the fire; Squeeze the nozzle to spray the contents; Sweep back and forth as you spray the base of the fire.
3. Do not pour water on a grease fire: Pouring water on a grease fire can cause the fire to spread.
Last but not least is “The Most Wonderful Time Of the Year”, Christmas. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas and all of the festivities around that!
Wrap Up the Year Safely This Holiday Season
Between finding the perfect gift for loved ones, trimming the tree and sprucing up the house with festive decorations, safety can easily be overlooked during the holiday season. That’s why UL is reminding families to take a few minutes to think about the most precious gift of all when celebrating the holidays – safety.
4. A fresh tree is key: If the needles are not fresh, it can lead to a greater risk of fire. Remember to ask your tree lot attendant to make a fresh cut to the base of the tree and place it in water as soon as you get home. Place tree in a tree stand that holds at least one gallon of water and check moisture level frequently.
5. Indoor or outdoor? Look for the UL Mark: Indoor-use only light strings are marked with UL’s green holographic label. Indoor or outdoor-use light strings are marked with UL’s red holographic label.
6. Read manufacturer instructions: When stringing lights together, the general rule is to not connect more than three midget light string sets together. Light strings with screw-in bulbs should never have more than 50 bulbs connected together.
7. Examine packaging: Parents should thoroughly examine new gifts, especially if they have young children at home. Pay particular attention to products in boxes or packages that do not offer the following:
· A brand name
· Manufacturer’s name with contact information for reporting problems with the product
Enter to Win:
UL picnic basket loaded with UL goodies
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Leave a comment telling me which of the tips is most useful to you!
This is not a sponsored giveaway and it ends October 25th.
7. Examine packaging:
I like the stay in the kitchen while food is cooking
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I did not know about the UL mark on lights.
I think the indoor/outdoor UL mark tip was a good one.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen!
Place tree in a treestand that holds 1 gallon of water was the most helpful to me!
Reading manufacturer instructions
This one is probably the most useful to me: Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of emergency and know how to use it.
Thanks!
5. Indoor or outdoor? Look for the UL Mark.
Indoor or outdoor? Look for the UL Mark:
I hang lights indoors and outdoors. Never thought to check. Thanks!
jackievillano at gmail dot com
read the manufacturer’s instructions!
To carry an oven mitt with you as a reminder that something is cooking! I never thought of that but it’s a great tip as I sometimes leave the stove unattended for a few minutes!
i definately like the tip on the indoor/outdoor cord mark
nannypanpan at sbcglobal.net
Keep candles away from items that easily catch fire is common sense but still so many fires are started by not following this rule.
Keeping a fire extinguisher in the kitchen is the best tip of all.
#2 keep candles away from flamable things – very important
msboatgal at aol.com
I find this useful:
Do not pour water on a grease fire: Pouring water on a grease fire can cause the fire to spread.
The tip to look for the UL marking on the indoor and outdoor lights is most helpful to me. I had no idea that these were marked to distinguish which lights to use where.
Thanks for the chance to win!
The best tip for us is to not connect more than 3 strands of lights and no more than 50 bulbs per strand. I cant believe they sell them that way if not safe! My husband is an electrical guy and we STILL overload circuits because we are not thinking and never think anything is gonna’ happen to US!
thanks for the great safety post!
“Look for flame resistant labels when purchasing costumes, fabric and accessories”
I hadn’t really thought about this and it’s an excellent tip! Always look for this in pajamas, but it is such a great feature to look for in a Halloween costume, too.
Thanks for the chance to win!
Hugs,
Barb
ruralmoms AT gmail DOT com
Do not pour water on a grease fire: Pouring water on a grease fire can cause the fire to spread. Natural instinct would’ve told me to get water right away… big OOPS.
Sadly, stay in the kitchen while food is cooking. Sometimes I walk away. Not a good thing.
mommieseatsoggycereal at gmail dot com
Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen – we actually already have one, but I’m amazed at how many people don’t.
The useful tip is Look for flame resistant labels when purchasing costumes, fabric and accessories.
member(dot)thao(at)gmail.com
Examining the package, I never thought of looking for contact info or reporting problems.
I also keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, hubby gave me one for christmas that year, after my kitchen fire that previous spring on our 10th anniversary.
karenmed409 at comcast dot net
My favorite tip is do not put water on a grease fire, alot of people make the mistake thinking water puts out fires not makes them worse.
megankayden@yahoo.com
I like the fire extinguisher acronym. Very helpful.
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com
Great advice to check the packaging.
Indoor or outdoor? Look for the UL Mark: Indoor-use only light strings are marked with UL’s green holographic label. Indoor or outdoor-use light strings are marked with UL’s red holographic label.
is the useful to me because my husband seems to think you can put indoor lights outside with no problem and it drives me crazy.
tamben7996(at)aol(dot)com
Reading manufacturer instructions
“Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking” I have a bad habit of leaving the kitchen when cooking. This was a good reminder to stop doing that!
into your GIFT BAG!
let me know if I win it!
& thanks,
Rosiey
READ MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS
Indoor or outdoor? Look for the UL Mark: Indoor-use only light strings are marked with UL’s green holographic label. Indoor or outdoor-use light strings are marked with UL’s red holographic label. I always wonder if I am using the correct lights. Now an easy way to tell.
Pull the pin; Aim the spray nozzle low at the base of the fire; Squeeze the nozzle to spray the contents; Sweep back and forth as you spray the base of the fire.
You don’t have time to think when there is a fire. The above tip is something the whole family should know.
The one instruction above I should follow more than I do is: Read Directions!
I love Christmas so A fresh tree is key is a good rule for our family.
Put a tree in a tree stand that holds at least one gallon of water is very useful to me! I do get fresh trees every year and did not know this.
1. Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking: Most fires in the kitchen occur because food is left unattended. If you must leave the kitchen briefly, carry an oven mitt with you as a reminder that something is cooking. This is the tip that is most helpful to me, since I have a new large dog
and she still needs some training, like staying away from a hot stove. I also like the idea of carrying the oven mitt as a reminder.
lfhpueblo at msn dot com
I need to remember to get a fresh fire extinguisher for the kitchen.
Look for the UL mark
Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of emergency and know how to use it is the best tip for me. I think that it’s important to have one in the home.
I had never heard the acronym PASS before. I like it and will hopefully never need it.
The most useful tip for me is to remember to examine the packaging when buying toys for my granddaughter.
I like this tip
1. Inspect decorations for loose connections, frayed or bare wires and broken or cracked sockets
The fire extinguisher in the kitchen is a great idea.
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill@comcast.net
Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking. I am very guilty of this one.
Do not pour water on a grease fire: Pouring water on a grease fire can cause the fire to spread.
I did not know this…luckily I have not had a grease fire. Thanks for the tips!
I like the P.A.S.S. tip.
Inspect decorations for loose connections, frayed or bare wires and broken or cracked sockets when using lights to decorate the home for Halloween……. I always forget to do this