RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
December 18, 2003
DON’T FALL FOR CHRISTMAS IN CASUALTY
Christmas trees, lights, trimmings and turkeys will be among the things turning seasonal merrymaking into misery and mayhem for thousands of families over the holiday period.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents predicts that around 80,000 people will go to hospital over the Christmas and New Year break as a result of an accident at home. But with a little more care most of those accidents need never happen and celebrations have no need to turn sour.
Mishaps with Christmas trees lead to more than 1,000 people injuring themselves each year. Last year cases included: someone falling off a chair while putting a fairy on top of a tree; branches poking into eyes; tripping while carrying trees; and cuts from saws and knives when hacking off branches or shortening trunks.
Christmas tree lights result in about 350 people needing attention at hospital each year. As well as people falling while putting them up, or children swallowing the bulbs, others get electric shocks and burns from faulty lights. RoSPA advises replacing old light sets with new ones, which should be much safer.
About 1,000 people are hurt by trimmings or when decorating their homes. Many small children bite into glass baubles, adults fall while use unstable chairs instead of ladders to put up streamers or tumble out of lofts while looking for decorations.
Candle fires have increased. Latest figures show 17 deaths and 920 injuries in a year. Never put candles on Christmas trees or leave them unattended while burning. They should be in a stable container and put out before going to bed.
Convenience foods and microwaves mean many people are not used to cooking big Christmas meals. Hot fat, boiling water, sharp knives and cluttered work surfaces can spell disaster. Try to keep people out of the kitchen and wipe up spills so that no one will slip on them. Last year’s accidents included: someone pouring hot turkey fat onto their thighs as they struggled to get the bird out of the oven; the cook dropping a frozen chicken on their foot; others cutting themselves with electric carving knives.
Even balloons cause accidents. Some burst while being blown up and hit people in the eye. Burst balloons pose a serious choking hazard to small children. Lots of children hurt themselves kicking chairs instead of the balloons they use for a party game of football.
Sarah Colles, RoSPA Home Safety Adviser, said: “It’s much better to take a little more care and have a happy Christmas at home than spend a miserable one in hospital.”
