10 Steps to a Safe Festive Holiday
The festive season is a time for celebration, but it’s also a time to be extra vigilant about fire safety. With Christmas trees, lights, candles, cooking and alcohol often in the mix, it’s important to take steps to protect yourself, your family, and your home.
Follow these 10 practical fire safety steps to ensure you have a safe festive holiday.
Step 1 – Smoke Detectors
Smoke alarms are crucial for alerting you to a fire in your home. You should have interlinked smoke alarms on every level of your home. Test your smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms monthly and report any faults to our repairs team.
Step 2 – Lights
Check your Christmas tree lights for signs of damage or wear to wiring, plugs, and bulbs before putting them up. Discard any faulty lights and always switch them off and unplug them before you go to bed or leave the house.
Step 3 – Candles and Tea Lights
Never place candles near your Christmas tree or furnishings and don’t leave them burning unattended. Take special care with tea lights, which can get hot enough to melt plastic or set Christmas decorations alight. Always use these with a holder designed specifically for tea-lights on a flat, stable surface. Consider using flameless LED candles as a safer alternative to traditional candles.
Step 4 – Decorations
Decorations can burn easily – Don’t attach them to lights, heaters or anything else that could get hot and ignite them. Don’t put decorations immediately above or around the fireplace.
Step 5 – Drugs and Alcohol
Remember! The risk of accidents at home is greater if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If you have been drinking, or taking drugs, you will be less alert to the signs of fire. They can also heighten feelings of disorientation, making an escape more difficult.
Step 6 – Smoking
If you smoke, make sure that your smoking material is extinguished before you go to bed. Dispose of cigarettes properly – make sure there’s no smoke or embers before putting cigarette ends putting in a bin.
Step 7 – Cooking:
Cooking is the biggest cause of house fires in Scotland. Don’t leave cooking unattended, stay in the kitchen while cooking and keep a close eye on all appliances. If you need to leave the room, turn off the stove or oven. After a night out or having met up with friends, don’t try to cook when you get home.
Step 8 – Plug Sockets and Extensions:
Avoid overloading sockets: Do not plug in too many appliances into one socket or extension cord. Do not exceed the manufacturers maximum wattage or amp rating for the extension lead and avoid “daisy-chaining” (plugging one extension cord into another) as this creates a significant fire risk due to overheating.
Step 9 – Safe use and disposal of batteries:
All battery types are classed as hazardous waste and should be disposed of at designated recycling points—never in general waste. The nearest recycling points to the G5 postcode are located at Polmadie and Shieldhall.
Never charge large lithium-ion batteries, (batteries for electric bikes, scooters, laptops etc) in hallways or stairwells where it could block your means of escape. To help prevent a fire in your home, always use the correct charger for your device and never leave it charging unattended or overnight. Don’t buy cheap or counterfeit batteries, and check for UKCA or CE markings for safety. Don’t forget to unplug your device when it is fully charged.
Step 10 – Emergency Plan:
Make a fire escape plan and make sure the whole family know how to escape in an emergency. Make sure all escape routes, including doorways and windows, are free from obstructions. Never block a window or exit with decorations or furniture.