Holiday Safety

HOLIDAY SAFETY

My family watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation the other night, and as I watched, I found myself becoming uncomfortable as Clark Griswold demonstrated unsafe practice after unsafe practice—somehow only resulting in minor injuries (unless you are the family cat, I suppose. RIP Kitty). From overloaded electrical plugs through ladder mishaps and tree fires, to illegal dumping resulting in a sewer gas explosion, it’s a wonder that any of them got through the holiday alive.

(PHOTOGRAPH BY WARNER BROS. AND HUGHES ENTERTAINMENT)

It occurred to me that almost every Christmas comedy show we enjoy has some hidden lessons in it if viewed through a safety lens. Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer decides to travel in unsafe whiteout conditions. Home Alone is basically an entire course on the hazards of Christmas clutter and leaving dangerous sharp objects lying around for folks to slip on or cut themselves! In Elf, Santa flies a sleigh that obviously did not undergo sufficient mechanical inspection prior to take-off. Frosty the Snowman pays no attention to important traffic control signals. Don’t get me started on the Peanuts gang’s dangerous ice-skating (never pull your friends by a scarf around their neck!) on a pond they probably never tested for ice integrity. And Die Hard (yes, it’s a Christmas movie), well, let’s just say Hans Gruber could have used some training in avoiding serious slips and falls.

Risky Christmas behaviour isn’t just in the movies. Some real-life, and strange, accident stats recorded on https://www.emed.com.au/ include:

• Hospitals reported 4 broken arms last year after cracker pulling accidents.
• Three people die each year testing if a 9v battery works on their tongue.
• Nineteen people have died in the last 3 years believing that Christmas decorations were edible.
• Thirty-one people have died since 1996 by watering their Christmas tree while the lights were plugged in.
• Fifty-eight people are injured each year by using sharp knives instead of screwdrivers to put together new toys and furniture.
• One hundred and one people since 1997 have had to have broken parts of plastic toys pulled out of the soles of their feet (we see you, Lego).
• One hundred and forty two people were injured in 1998 by not removing all pins from new shirts.

In all seriousness, the holiday season is a wonderful time of the year, but it can lead to an increase in hazardous situations and accidents. It is important to use common sense and to keep safety in mind as you welcome people into your homes. We tend to be more tired, excited, stressed and in a hurry at this time of year, so slow down, look around and enjoy the season safely and responsibly.

Happy Holidays from the Education and Awareness Committee at Utility Safety Partners.

Sher Kirk – Operations Director, USP