Holiday Entertaining Safety

The winter holiday season is a festive and eventful time of year that traditionally includes notable increases in celebrations, family gatherings, and the presence of overnight houseguests. According to a recent consumer survey conducted by the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), nearly 60 percent of people expect to host guests in their homes during the holiday season.
 

Preparing for the arrival of guests in the midst of the hectic holiday season can be challenging. While festive decorations and savory food may seem like the most important aspects of holiday entertaining, remember not to overlook the safety of your guests.  Statistics show that incidents of home fires and electrical accidents typically increase during the winter holiday season.

ESFI provides these easy safety tips and resources to help you give the gift of safety to your family and friends this holiday season:

• Childproof DecoratingTips - ESFI recommends taking the following safety precautions to ensure that this special time of year does not result in a decoration-related tragedy.

• Gifts for Children - Keep these simple safety tips in mind when selecting holiday gifts for children of all ages.

• Smoke Alarm Safety Tips - Follow these tips to ensure your family is protected by working, properly installed smoke alarms.

• Space Heater Safety Tips - Follow these safety tips to keep your home warm and your family safe when using portable electric space heaters.

• Kids and Cooking Safety Tips - ESFI recommends following these safety precautions to ensure that this special time of year does not result in tragedy for young holiday chefs and kitchen helpers.

• Use the Holiday Entertaining Safety Checklist to check your home for safety hazards before your festive holiday activities begin.

Check out ESFI's Top 10 Holiday Safety Tips for illustrated holiday safety reminders!

Additional information about Decorating Safety, Fire Safety, Children's Safety, and safety-related Holiday Gifts can be found in the 2012 Holiday Survival Guide and throughout the Holiday Safety section of the website.