While the holiday season is a wonderful time for family, friends, and festivities, it’s actually one of the most dangerous times of the year.
With so much activity, it’s not surprising that many people are injured during the holidays. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 15,000 injuries that involved holiday decorating in 2012—and this was just decorating! What about cooking, driving, or going for holiday walks in the snow and ice?
At POM MRI, we want everyone to have a safe, happy holiday season, so let’s look at some of the most common injuries and what you can do to avoid them.
Burns
Holiday cooking, candles, fireplaces—the holidays are full of chances to burn yourself. However, with the right approach, you can keep yourself, your family, and your friends safe this year.
Make sure you have plenty of cooking mitts available for anyone who is working in the kitchen, and never leave hot food unattended, especially when small children are around.
Don’t overload electrical outlets, and make sure all candles are in a safe place with nothing flammable nearby.
Electric shock
Everyone wants to have a bright, gorgeous Christmas tree. Add in outdoor lights, extension cords, lighted decorations, and electrical cooking devices, and you keep increasing the chances of someone getting shocked.
One of the most effective ways to prevent shocks during the holidays is to use high-quality lights and electric products that have safety certification from CSA, UL, or ETL. Always use certified extension cords and keep all electrical items away from water and puddles.
Sports injuries
It’s amazing how a friendly game of holiday catch quickly turns into a competitive showdown between family members. Once people get going, muscle pulls, sprains, and even broken bones can happen in a flash.
The most important thing to remember is to avoid over-exertion. If you haven’t been physically active, running and jumping at 110% can quickly ruin your day. You may also want to remind your over-enthusiastic family to bring it down a notch.
Lacerations
There are many sharp objects out during the holidays. It can be scissors for cutting wrapping paper, knives for carving turkey, or even the sharp edges of canned food. Either way, it can lead to a painful cut.
If you’re in charge of carving the meat, chopping vegetables, or cutting desserts, make sure to go slowly and keep a close eye on your knife and the position of your fingers. Don’t underestimate the sharpness of an opened can, and be careful when opening boxes with a knife.
Slips, trips and falls
Holiday parties have many hazards laying around the floor, including children’s toys, gift boxes, and strings of lighting. The season also has ice and snow, increasing the chances of a dangerous slip.
To help you and your guests avoid falling, make sure you clean up all items from floors, especially busy walkways.
If you have elderly people joining your party, you may want to consider removing rugs that could cause them to trip. You should also have plenty of salt for sprinkling on sidewalks, walkways, and patios.
Medical diagnostics we hope you don’t need this season!
Some of these accidents could cause you to need medical diagnostics like MRIs or x-rays. We hope it never happens, but if you need diagnostic services after a holiday accident, we will be here to help.