Put Safety at the Top of Your List When Decorating this Holiday Season!

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the nation gears up to decorate their homes for the holiday season, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reminds consumers of decorating dangers and provides tips for a safe holiday. CPSC demonstrated some of the hazards, including Christmas tree and candle fires at its laboratory in Rockville, Md. See CPSC's broadcast quality video.  

"Safety should be part of all your decorating efforts," said CPSC Acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle. "Make sure your live Christmas tree has plenty of water, keep lit candles away from flammable items, and use caution when standing on a ladder or a chair to hang decorations."

Holiday decorating-related injuries:

CPSC estimates the following holiday decoration-related emergency room-treated injuries nationwide during last year's holiday season.

• 14,700 holiday decorating related ER-treated injuries.  That's an average of about 240 injuries per day during the holiday season of November and December!
• The most frequent holiday decorating incidents involved falls (41%), lacerations (10%) and back strains (5%).
• 3 deaths involving ladder falls.

Follow these CPSC safety tips to keep your family safe:

Trees and Decorations

Candles

Lights

Fireplaces

Smoke alarms

You can also find more fire safety tips and information in our fire safety information center.

About U.S. CPSC:
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.  Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals – contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.

Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.

For more lifesaving information, follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC or sign up to receive our e-mail alerts. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 or teletypewriter at 301-595-7054 for the hearing impaired.

CPSC Consumer Information Hotline
Contact us at this toll-free number if you have questions about a recall:
800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054)
Times: 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. ET; Messages can be left anytime
Call to get product safety and other agency information and to report unsafe products.

Media Contact

Please use the phone numbers below for all media requests.
Phone: 301-504-7908
Spanish: 301-504-7800

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/put-safety-at-the-top-of-your-list-when-decorating-this-holiday-season-300568014.html

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission