If you haven’t already, it’ll soon be time to put the Christmas decorations up and after a tough year, we’re definitely looking forward to decking our branches with boughs of holly.
But, despite it being the most wonderful time of year for many, house fires caused by faulty fairy lights and dangly decorations are an unfortunate reality.
As a responsible estate and letting agent, we want to do all we can to keep you safe over the festive period, so here are our top ten fire safety tips.
- Check the condition of your fairy lights, especially if you’ve been using the same sets for many years. Remember that all electricals should have a safety mark on them
- Don’t use outdoor lights indoors and vice versa
- Use outdoor lights with a residual current device (RCD)
- Don’t overload plug sockets or extension leads
- Switch off and unplug electricals before you go to bed or go out
- Avoid low hanging decorations that could come in to contact with naked flames, such as candles and open fires, or other heat sources, such as radiators and heaters
- Never leave candles unattended. Light them safely and in a place where they won’t come in to contact with other decorations or get knocked over. Also be sure to fully extinguish matches after use
- Be mindful of the type and quantity of decorations in the kitchen area – save the flames for the brandied Christmas pudding!
- Keep real trees watered regularly – not only will it keep the tree, and therefore that lovely scent, alive for longer, dry trees a very real fire hazard. Keep your tree, whether it be real or artificial, away from naked flames and heat sources
- Go easy on the sherry when you’re cooking otherwise you might end up with more than a burnt turkey…
Of course, these fire safety tips apply to everybody, but if you happen to be a landlord or tenant and you have any concerns, please do get in touch.
Stay safe, but above all have fun – goodness knows we’ve all earned it this year.