'Tis The Season to Be Careful
Emma Hammet RGN - Award winning first aid trainer, First Aid for Life and Author of Burns, Falls and Emergency Calls, the ultimate guide to the prevention and treatment of childhood accidents at home
Christmas is a magical time of year; but with a houseful of Christmas cheer, the excitement can be intense and fraught with additional dangers. The Royal Society of the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) have issued some advice to help prevent accidents at Christmas and keep you and your loved ones’ safe:
The Stairs
The stairs are an accident hotspot.
Avoid leaving clutter on the bottom steps
Help those who have indulged or are overly tired up the stairs to bed.
Keep darting children off the stairs, especially in socks. Leave a light on for people staying over night to avoid falls en route to the loo at night. them and avoid leaving any things on the stairs.
The Kitchen
Hot fat, boiling water and sharp knives make the kitchen one of the most hazardous places.
Keep the number of people involved in the cooking process to a minimum. Avoid alcohol until you’ve finished cooking. Wipe up spills quickly to avoid slippages
Presents
The most common Christmas Day accidents happen when adults take short cuts. Use appropriate tools to assemble toys or access packaging. Be careful using sharp scissors or excessive force to open well wrapped gifts.
Fairy lights
Injuries include people swallowing the bulbs, and electric shocks or burns from faulty lights.
Test the lights and wiring before you put them up, as they can deteriorate over the years. New lights
meet higher safety
standards, don’t overload sockets, as that’s a fire risk.’
Poisoning - Christmas plants and Granny’s handbag!
Mistletoe is poisonous, its berries contain toxic proteins that slow the heart rate and can cause hallucinations.
The orange berries of the Christmas cherry can cause stomach pains and the Christmas rose is so effective at causing diarrhoea that it was used as a chemical weapon by the ancient Greeks!
Check with the garden centre whether the plants you’re buying are toxic and if they are, keep them out of the reach of children.
6,000+ admitted to hospital on Christmas Day