When choosing holiday decorations for the office, the best thing you can do to help prevent fires is to select safe decorations and take preventive measures. In this blog post, we provide valuable tips and guidelines to assist you in choosing and maintaining holiday decorations while prioritizing office safety.
This holiday season, consider fire safety when planning and putting up your holiday decorations.
Choose flame-retardant decorations
When selecting holiday decorations, prioritize flame-retardant options. Pay close attention to labels to ensure that decorations for use near holiday lights, especially artificial Christmas trees, are flame-retardant. While many artificial trees claim to be fire-resistant, verify their flame-retardant labeling before purchasing for added safety.
Avoid using a real Christmas tree
To minimize fire hazards, refrain from using real Christmas trees. When the tree becomes dry and loses needles rapidly, it's time to discard it. Proper disposal is crucial to prevent fires. Dry trees are highly flammable due to their gradual drying process. Statistics reveal that a significant portion of Christmas tree fires occur in January. While these fires are uncommon, they can escalate quickly.
Use holiday lights correctly
When choosing holiday lights, read the labels carefully to ensure they are suitable for indoor or outdoor use, as some lights are specifically designed for one or the other. Use clips instead of nails to hang the lights or decorations to prevent damage or breakage. If you're using an unlit tree, avoid overloading the outlets around it with additional lights to prevent electrical fires. Regularly inspect your light strands for any signs of wear or damage, and replace any faulty or damaged lights to maintain safety and prevent potential electrical fires.
Keep decorations away from fire sources
Keep decorations at least three feet away from all heat sources. This includes space heaters, fireplaces, furnaces, ovens, and any other sources of fire. More than two out of five decoration fires occur because decorations are placed too close to a heat source. By maintaining a safe distance between decorations and heat sources, you can help prevent fires.
Don't block exits or windows with decorations
Keep holiday decorations away from windows and doors to prevent obstructing potential escape routes. During a fire, you, your employees, or customers may need to use an emergency exit, so ensure that decorations don't block these exits.
Do not decorate with real candles
Battery-operated candles are recommended as an alternative to traditional candles for office holiday decorations to avoid potential fire hazards. With their open flames, candles risk igniting flammable materials, making it safer to opt for battery-powered options.
Fire safety is extra important in the winter, when fire risks spike - but with these simple steps, you can protect your people and property this holiday season. For even more CertaSite tips, explore the rest of our blog posts or book a consultation with us.
