SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – The countdown to Christmas is on, and for a lot of households the season brings joyful celebrations — and surprising dangers.
Memorial Well being medical workers say the most typical traumas they deal with through the holidays are falls, motorcar crashes and cooking accidents.
With emergency rooms typically the final place anybody needs to spend a vacation, docs and security consultants are urging the general public to take just a few easy precautions.
“It’s the final place you wish to be on a vacation — the emergency room — however regardless of our greatest efforts, it may occur,” stated Emily Burnside, Memorial Well being’s trauma damage prevention coordinator.
Take additional care when adorning
Many vacation accidents occur at dwelling whereas adorning or taking decorations down. Burnside careworn that individuals typically rush — and in that rush, primary security steps get forgotten.
“We wish to guarantee that we’re being protected once we are adorning and undecorating our properties,” Burnside stated. “Be sure you all the time have somebody with you monitoring that ladder to verify it’s arrange correctly and also you’re utilizing the ladder accurately.”
Sensible adorning ideas
- Use a secure, correctly rated ladder for outside lights and tall decorations. By no means stand on chairs, tables or unstable surfaces.
- Have a second particular person maintain the ladder and hand instruments or lights up and down for you.
- Examine gentle strands and extension cords for frayed wires earlier than plugging them in.
- Hold walkways away from decorations and cords to cut back journey hazards.
Decelerate on the roads
In line with Memorial Well being workers, motorcar crashes stay a high concern all through December. Burnside urged folks to decelerate and drive rigorously amid elevated site visitors and vacation distractions.
Impaired driving can also be a severe danger: the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration reviews practically 5,000 deaths attributed to impaired driving within the month of December from 2019–2023. Plan forward — designate a sober driver, use a rideshare service, or keep in a single day if you’ll be consuming.
Kitchen security and cooking accidents
Vacation meals convey extra cooking than regular, which raises the danger of burns, scalds and grease fires. Common sense steps can stop many of those accidents.
- By no means depart cooking meals unattended, particularly when frying or utilizing excessive warmth.
- Hold flammable gadgets away from stovetops and open flames.
- Have a working hearth extinguisher accessible within the kitchen and know how one can use it.
Be aware of dietary restrictions
There will also be hidden well being dangers on the vacation desk. Dr. Connelly of Memorial Well being reminded hosts to contemplate visitors who might not disclose medical situations or dietary wants.
“Through the holidays when you might have combined firm, possibly not everyone needs to let you know that they’re diabetic or that they’re actually scuffling with coronary heart failure or hypertension,” Dr. Connelly stated. “It’s all the time good to attempt to have a low-sodium meat possibility when you possibly can.”
Suggestions for inclusive vacation meals
- Label dishes that include frequent allergens (nuts, dairy, shellfish) and word if gadgets are low-sodium or sugar-free.
- Supply a minimum of one lower-sodium and one lower-sugar possibility for visitors with hypertension or diabetes.
- Encourage visitors to ask hosts about components reasonably than assuming dishes are protected for them.
If the worst occurs
If somebody is injured or displaying indicators of a severe medical emergency like chest ache, problem respiratory, extreme bleeding, or lack of consciousness, name 911 instantly.
For non-emergency considerations, contact your main care supplier or your native pressing care.
Plan forward, keep conscious, benefit from the season
Memorial Well being workers say that with a bit of planning and some safety-minded habits, most vacation accidents are preventable.
Decelerate, verify gear, plan sober rides and be aware of visitors’ well being wants so everybody can get pleasure from a protected and glad vacation season.
Copyright 2025 WTOC. All rights reserved.
Leave a Reply