Staying safe this festive season
Winter is a festive time with opportunities to celebrate, decorate and spend more time at home. With extra lights, heaters and cooking, it’s worth taking a few simple steps to keep yourself, your family and your home safe throughout the festive season.
Electrical safety
Fairy lights and festive decorations can make homes feel warm and welcoming, but they can also put extra pressure on electrical sockets. Try not to overload sockets and avoid plugging extension leads into each other, as this can cause them to overheat. Before using any lights or electrical items, check that plugs and cables are in good condition and free from damage, especially if they’ve been stored away since last year.
If you’re using outdoor lights or decorations, make sure they are connected using RCD protection. An RCD, or Residual Current Device, is a safety switch that quickly turns off the electricity if there is a fault, helping to prevent electric shocks and fires. Many outdoor sockets already have this built in, or it may be part of your fuse box. If you don’t have an RCD in your fuse box, use a plug-in RCD.
It’s also a good idea to turn off all electrical decorations before going to bed or leaving your home. Please remember to keep button batteries well out of reach of children, as they can be fatal if swallowed.
Fire safety
During the colder weather we often rely more on heaters, candles and cooking, which can increase the risk of fire. Always place candles on a heatproof surface and keep them well away from curtains, decorations and anything that could catch fire. Never leave candles unattended and always blow them out before going to bed.
Portable heaters should be kept clear of furniture, bedding and curtains, and they should never be used to dry clothes. When cooking, try not to leave the kitchen unattended, even for a short time, as most house fires start this way. If you have a real Christmas tree, keep it watered every day, dry trees can catch fire very quickly.
Make sure your smoke alarms are working properly and test them once a month. They provide early warning and can save lives.
By taking a few simple precautions, you can help keep your home safe, warm and healthy this Winter. We wish all our residents a happy, safe and peaceful festive season.
