Be Safe for the Holidays!

Posted by Carolyn Martin on December 1st, 2017 Posted in: Health Literacy

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The holiday season has arrived! It’s great time to be with family and friends and to enjoy the festivities. However, it doesn’t take much and suddenly things are not quite as merry as we would wish.  Several organizations and agencies provide some great tips to staying safe whether it is regarding food preparation, putting up decorations, travel, or buying toys. These tips will help keep you and your loved ones can enjoy a safer holiday season.

Toys are at the top of many shopping lists. Those youngsters may have a wish list a mile long but which of those many items are safe? The American Academy of Pediatrics has a list of what to look for when selecting these gifts as does KidsHealth.org.

Decorations can be simple but many holiday displays involve ladders, electrical cords and breakable materials. The Consumer Product Safety Commission provides a printable brochure covering trees, candles, lights, snow and more that you might want to offer your home decorator to keep them and you out of the emergency room.

Unfortunately, food poisoning does not skip holidays. Food is a big part of holiday celebrations whether it is for a large crowd, being transported a long distance, or being left on the buffet table over several hours. Food safety is important from shopping to the eating and the FDA and FoodSafety.gov are here to help.

Often the holidays involve some form of travel including shopping and special events such as parties or school pageants. Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death, public transportation brings you into contact with lots of people and their germs, and bad weather doesn’t take a holiday. The American Red Cross and the CDC offer several tips to staying safe and healthy while traveling.

And to round off this list of safety tips, the CDC has a webpage called the 12 Days to Health, including a fun musical version sung to the tune of the Twelve Days of Christmas.