How to avoid accidents during the holiday season and where to go if you have one

Putting up holiday decorations in a hurry? Not checking twice to see if that ladder is secure? Step on a glass ornament in your bare feet? Using old lights on a dry Christmas tree? Falls, lacerations, and fires are the most common injury accidents during November and December according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

CPSC estimates the following holiday decoration-related emergency room-treated injuries nationwide during the 2018 holiday season.

• 14,700 holiday decorating related ER-treated injuries. That’s an average of about 240 injuries per day during the holiday season of November and December!
• The most frequent holiday decorating incidents involved falls (41%), lacerations (10%) and back strains (5%).
• 3 deaths involving ladder falls.

Tips for a safe holiday from the CPSC

1. Live trees: Purchase a fresh tree, water it regularly, and place it away from heat sources, such as fireplaces and radiators.
2. Artificial trees: Buy one with a fire-resistant label.
3. Decorations: To avoid choking hazards, do not use small, fragile, decorations in homes with small children.
4. Candles: Keep lighted candles within sight. Don’t leave the house or go to bed with candles burning. Keep candles on a stable, heat-resistant surface where children and pets can’t knock them over.
5. Lights: Buy laboratory-rated (UL) lights. Lights are rated for indoor or outdoor use. Check lights every year for any broken bulbs or frayed wires. Throw out damaged lights.
6. Extension cords: Check the rating to make sure the cord is compatible for your intended use.
7. Fire salts/color flames: Keep fire salts away from children. Swallowing them can cause intense gastrointestinal distress and vomiting.
8. DO NOT burn wrapping paper in fireplaces. Wrappings can ignite suddenly and burn intensely.

If Santa or one of his helpers slips and falls …

If the person is unconscious, in severe pain, or having trouble breathing, call 911 immediately.

For serious injuries, call 911 or go to the emergency room.

Lake Norman Regional Hospital has an emergency department at its facility in Mooresville. Novant Health has an emergency department at its facility in Huntersville. Both emergency rooms are open 24 hours.

If the person’s condition is not an emergency, consider urgent care.

Urgent care centers typically treat illnesses or injuries that require immediate care but aren’t serious enough for the emergency room. Colds, sprains, and minor cuts are good examples. You do not need an appointment. These centers can perform x-rays to look for broken bones. They triage patients and can transfer a person to a hospital affiliated with that center, if required. If you do not have a regular doctor, an urgent care facility is a much better choice than the emergency room because the wait times are typically shorter and it costs is less.

Visit Novant Health to find an urgent care near you.

Visit Atrium Health (formerly Carolinas Healthcare System) to find an urgent care near you.

If your elf has the sniffles …

For minor illnesses or injuries, consider a minute clinic.

CVS Pharmacy offers minute clinics in some of their locations. You do not need an appointment at a minute clinic. They treat minor illnesses, such as sore throats, coughs, earaches, and pink eye. They also treat minor injuries, such as bug bites, stings, minor burns, minor cuts, blisters, and splinters. They will treat a variety of skin conditions, such as lice or athlete’s foot. They can perform physicals for DOT, camp, or college. They also perform other wellness checks, chronic condition care, and vaccinations.

To find a minute clinic near you, visit its website or call 1.866.389.2727.

Wishing you a safe, healthy, and happy holiday from all of us at LKN Connect!

Sources: Put safety at the top of your list when decorating this holiday season; Holiday Safety Alert: Consumer injuries involving decorations and decorating are on the rise