Have a Safe Holiday Season! Ten Tips.
December 18, 2009
As the holiday season approaches, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges us to be safe when holiday decorating. Simple safety steps can go a long way in preventing fires and injuries this time of year.
Annually, during the two months surrounding the holiday season, more than 14,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms due to injuries related to holiday decorating. In addition, Christmas trees are involved in hundreds of fires annually resulting in an average of 15 deaths and $13 million in property damage. Candle-related fires lead the list of hazards averaging more than 12,000 a year, resulting in 150 deaths and $393 million in property damage.
“Holiday decorating-related fires and injuries most often involve defective holiday lights, unattended candles and dried-out Christmas trees,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “We are providing this list of 10 simple safety steps to help keep your holiday home safe.”
Use the following ten safety tips when decorating this year:
Trees and Decorations
- When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label “Fire Resistant.” Although this label does not mean the tree won’t catch fire, it does indicate the tree is more resistant to catching fire.
- When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and do not break when bent between your fingers. The bottom of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.
- When setting up a tree at home, place it away from heat sources such as fireplaces, vents, and radiators. Because heated rooms dry out live trees rapidly, monitor water levels and keep the reservoir stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic, and do not block doorways
- In homes with small children, take special care to avoid sharp, weighted or breakable decorations, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children who could swallow or inhale small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.
Lights
- Indoors or outside, only use lights that have been tested for safety by a nationally-recognized testing laboratory, such as UL or ETL/ITSNA.
- Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Throw out damaged sets. Electric lights should never be placed on a metallic tree.
- If using an extension cord, make sure it is rated for the intended use and not frayed or broken.
- When using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure the lights have been certified for outdoor use and only plug them into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protected receptacle or a portable GFCI.
Candles
- Keep burning candles within sight. Extinguish all candles before you go to bed, leave the room or leave the house.
- Keep lighted candles away from items that can catch fire and burn easily, such as trees, decorations, curtains and furniture.
Lawsuit Caps Don’t Save Lives- a Doctor Speaks.
October 29, 2009
Evidently, the entire medical community hasn’t bought the company line and drunk the Kool Aid- a doctor published on Salon Magazine had this to say about Malpractice lawsuit Caps:
“Tort reformers neglect the fact that malpractice reform won’t save one extra life. To make that difference, insurers, doctors and their lobbyists like the AMA need to find ways to improve patient safety. So for those who push tort reform as a panacea for a sick healthcare system, working to prevent injuries is a much more noble pursuit than writing up baseless arguments for the back pages of a newspaper. ”
Dr. Parikh is a columnist and more importantly, practicing M.D., hits the nail on the head- the notion of a flood of frivolous lawsuits is mythical. Doctors usually require research to be convinced of a point, but when the insurance companies and Chamberpot of Commerce screams ” too many lawsuits,” they are quick to pound the drum as well. Kudos to brave doctors like Parikh who actually look to facts, instead of practicing voodoo.
It is only Lawsuit Abuse when Injury Victims Sue, Right?
October 27, 2009
This blog isn’t really about personal injury law. It is, however, another poke in the eye of fake watchdog groups whose only REAL intention is to protect corporate profits at the expense of individual rights.
When it comes to calling a hypocrite a hypocrite, few do it better than Jim Hightower. Seems the “watchdog” group Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) are asleep at the switch. Or more likely, out kicking puppies.
Hansen Beverage, maker of Monster energy drinks, is suing a tiny Vermont brewer for its Vermonster beer brand. Evidently, we consumers are too stupid to realize that Vermonster Beer is not an energy drink!
But more importantly, why is Philip Morris funded Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse not incensed? Outraged? Nope. Nothing.
Consumer outrage did bring Hansen’s suit to a screeching halt. In fact, Rock Art Brewery is asking folks to stop bugging Hansen. CALA is way ahead of the curve- they never started! It is only lawsuit abuse when a BIG company is sued, after all.