LOS ANGELES – With the holiday season now officially in full swing, people can’t help but feel excited for the season.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and some private companies held a press conference on Wednesday to remind Angelenos about the importance of taking smart safety measures during the holidays.
Fire safety
LAFD Public Information Officer Tom Richards enumerated some key fire safety tips about the proper handing of care for Christmas trees so that they do not catch fire during the holidays.
“My wife and I bought – which I consider the safest tree – which is an artificial tree (sic),” Richards said. But for those who insist on having a real tree for Christmas, Richards said that it is always best to get the freshest tree available.
When you bring your fresh tree home, Richards said, the first thing to do is to cut at least two inches of bark from the trunk’s base to expose fresh wood, which allows water to absorb into the tree and keep it fresh for a longer period of time.
“Put it in water. That way the tree is constantly watered,” he said.
When it comes to decorative lights, these should be independently tested by an outside laboratory, which evaluates the safety rating of the product.
Richards said that one of the safest lights to use would be LED lights because they don’t consume too much electricity and they don’t heat up.
For those who still want to use traditional Christmas lights, Richards reminds that you should make sure that the wires are not frayed to avoid any shock hazards, and that the lightbulbs are not broken or that they do not emit excessive amounts of heat.
As far as decorations go, Richards stressed the need for using fire retardant décor.
Never leave lighted trees unattended, Richards said. To ensure safety, it is always best to unplug Christmas lights whenever you leave the house or go to sleep at night.
For those who like to use candles, it is always best to use candles with strong bases so that they don’t easily topple over. It is also important to remember to keep decorative candles away from curtains, furnitures, or anything at home that might easily catch fire from the candle flame.
Electrical safety
Southern California Edison’s Corporate Director for Environmental Health & Safety, Mr. Donald Neal, discussed key points of keeping safe around electricity during the holidays.
Neal said that old Christmas lights should be inspected for problems before they are used. The old wires could be brittle or the bulbs could be prone to overheating.
For any problems encountered, Neal advised against patching the lights up on your own. This could lead to further risks of fire or shock hazard.
For those, who use more than one set of Christmas lights, Neal said that they are prone to having overloaded circuits if they plug in too many sets of lights into one extension cord. There should be no more than three sets of Christmas lights on one extension cord.
Neal also advised against wrapping outdoor christmas lights on SCE’s power infrastructures like electric posts and cables. These might lead to extreme shock hazards.
When running power cables, lights, and extension cords from inside the house to the outdoors, these should not run under doors or windows. They might be pinned down too hard and create pinch points, which could lead to exposed wires that result in shock hazards. The same is true for using metal staples in keeping the cables in place. The metal staples might rub against the wire cover and expose the copper wires inside, leading to shock hazards.
Home security
Luis Sahagún, media and public relations director for Farmers Insurance, gave a few ‘smart’ reminders on preventing untoward incidents during the holidays:
Do not put gifts under the tree, in full view from a window. This way burglars would not be tempted to break in and steal the gifts.
Do not put empty boxes out on the street, which would indicate your Christmas acquisitions to preying burglars.
Sahagún advises to cut up the boxes and throw them into a trash bin.
Make sure that someone is home to sign for package deliveries so that packages won’t be left outside the door. Sahagún also advised to set up an arrangement with your neighbors so they can receive packages for you while you are away.
Financial safety
Shaffi Poswal, vice president and regional manager for Wells Fargo Cash Services Western Region, offered advice on protecting consumers’ personal information during the holidays, especially for those who shop online.
Make sure to double check the background of the the online merchant or seller.
Triple check bank statements to make sure that you are charged for the right purchases.
Be careful of sharing information online. Be wary of special holiday offers or requests for personal or financial information via email, text message, phone or website interactions you didn’t initiate.
Do not share full birthdates, places of birth, pet’s name, children’s names, or names of schools attended, especially if these information could be used as a clue to account passwords or security questions.
Lastly, be sure to keep track of your financial health and savings.
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Weekend December 7-10, 2013 Sec A pg.7)
