Christmas safety

It’s important to make sure your Christmas lights are safe to use. Before turning your Christmas lights on, make sure there are no loose ends or connections. You should replace the lights if you have any worries they may not be safe to use. 

You should also turn off your Christmas lights before going to bed or out of the house. Whilst it can be tempting to keep lights on at all times to make the most of the festive period, this can mean you are not able to deal with issues that may arise. Plus, this will also cause your electric bill to rise as you will be using more energy!

We often have to put our tree where there is not a nearby socket so if you have to use an extension lead make sure it is of the correct length, fully unwound and you do not create a daisy chain of extension leads (one plugged into another into another). Take care to ensure plugs are firmly pushed into the socket and not to overload electrical sockets.

Your Christmas tree should be kept away from heat. Trees can dry out if too close to heat, making them more likely to be ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Keeping your tree watered can stop them drying out. If using an artificial tree, make sure it is fire retardant. 

Decorations shouldn’t be attached to heaters or radiators, as they can catch alight if they get too hot. 

If you have any decorations that need to be plugged in to sockets for electricity, make sure you are not overloading sockets. This includes Christmas lights. 

If you live in a block of flats, you should not put decorations up in the communal areas. You should not stick, screw or nail anything to either side of your front door as this is a fire door, and you may be compromising your safety and others that live in the building. 

Candles left unattended can be very dangerous, potentially leading to a serious fire. It is also important to keep candles away from your tree, or any other items that could catch alight easily such as curtains or blinds.

Double check candles are out before leaving the house or going to bed, and take care when children or pets are around. 

Additionally, candles must not be used in communal areas.

Consider using an alternative such as a battery powered LED candle, which are much safer and provide a similar light effect. 
You can find more information on using candles safely at home here.

Cooking is an important part of Christmas, but you should take care when cooking your Christmas dinner. With more distractions than normal whilst cooking Christmas dinner it can be easy to leave the kitchen – it is really important to not leave cooking food unattended, as this is one of the most likely sources of a fire starting. 

You can find more information on safety in the kitchen here. 

When buying Christmas presents, particularly electrical items or toys, make sure they are from a reputable supplier. Don’t forget to buy any batteries that are required, and never remove a battery from your smoke alarm even for a short period.