Holidays are unfortunately one of the busiest seasons when it comes to preventable personal injury accidents. While rushing to complete tasks and the excitement surrounding the holidays, thousands of Americans each year are injured in fall-related accidents while putting up their holiday decorations. In fact, falls are the leading cause of home injury deaths, taking nearly 6,000 lives a year. Because these accidents are so preventable, it’s important that you and your family take appropriate measures to prevent holiday slip and fall accidents while hanging decorations and lights.
Statistics from a CDC report of holiday decorating-related falls:
- Approximately 62 percent of people injured are between 20 and 49 years old.
- Nearly 43 percent of injuries are caused by falls from ladders.
- Males are 40 percent more likely than females to be injured.
- Of the 1.9 million injuries from falls that occur each holiday season, nearly half the injuries (56 percent) were caused by falls from considerable heights such as ladders and roofs.
When temperatures dip into the single digits, a debilitating fall could leave you in dire straits, especially if there is no one nearby to help. To ensure that you and your family stay safe this holiday season, please keep the following safety tips in mind when decorating for the holidays.
Tips to avoid slips and falls while decorating for the holidays:
- Decorate during the day. You can easily see ice, puddles or any objects you could potentially trip over.
- Keep walking paths clear. Make sure extension cords are kept off the ground through common walking areas. Inside or outside, use special hooks and ties to hang cords off the ground or tuck them in along floorboards to prevent yourself and others from tripping.
- Work with another person. They can hold the ladder and help secure supplies to the ladder safely so you don’t have to reach out for them or climb up and down, increasing your risk of falling.
- Avoid decorating the roof. The roof is a potentially icy and steep surface. But if you really want to get that decorative sleigh up there, be sure to check shingles, gutters and other surfaces to hang lights on for strength and flexibility. Then, make sure there is no ice or snow to slip on.
- Always supervise children if they’re helping to hang decorations. Only an adult should use ladders, tools intended for use at high heights and electrical lights.
Following these and other safety measures will go a long way to ensure that you aren’t involved in a serious accident during the holiday season. But in the unfortunate event that you or a loved one are seriously injured due to a holiday slip or fall accident, because of the negligence of someone else, contact the personal injury attorneys of Hupy and Abraham. Call 800-800-5678 for a free consultation, or start a live chat with us anytime at Hupy.com.
