Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative –
November 30, 2012

            The most wonderful time of the year can also be the most stressful—particularly
when it comes to keeping your kids safe through parties, presents, travel, and
meals. Follow these tips from the Electrical Safety Foundation International
(ESFI) to protect your little ones this holiday season. For more information,
visit holidaysafety.org.

Electronic gifts

            About 70 percent of child-related electrical accidents occur at home when adult
supervision is present, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission. So make sure those new toys don’t pose a danger.

• Electric-powered
  toys and other devices can be extremely hazardous if improperly used or used
  without proper supervision.
• An adult
  should supervise the use of any electrical product.  Consider both the maturity of the child and
  the nature of the toy when deciding how much supervision is required.
• Do not buy
  an electrical toy, or any toy, for a child too young to use it safely. Always
  check the age recommendation on the package, and remember that this is a
  minimum age recommendation. You should still take into account your child’s
  capabilities.
• Never give
  any child under 10 years old a toy that must be plugged into an electrical
  outlet. Instead, choose toys that are battery-operated.
• Make sure
  all electrical toys bear a fire safety label from an independent testing
  laboratory, such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.).
• Inspect all
  electrical toys periodically.  Repair,
  replace, or discard deteriorating toys.
• Ban play
  with electrical toys near water, and make sure they understand that water and
  electricity don’t mix.
• All
  electrical toys should be put away immediately after use in a dry storage area
  out of the reach of younger children.

Decorating safely

            Christmas,
Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Day lead the year for candle fires, according to
ESFI. Mind your festive decorations for safety hazards:

• Read
  manufacturer’s instructions and warning labels for any decoration that will be
  used around young children, like electronic trains or animatronic dolls.
• Keep
  candles, matches, and lighters out of reach, and never leave children
  unsupervised when candles are lit.
• Instead of
  traditional candles, try using battery-operated candles.
• Cover any
  unused outlets on extension cords with plastic caps or electrical tape to
  prevent children from coming in contact with a live circuit.
• Place
  electrical cords out of the reach of small children.
• Never allow
  children to play with lights, electrical decorations, or cords.

Cooking

            In
2009, ranges and ovens were involved in an estimated 17,300 thermal burn
injuries seen in U.S. hospital emergency rooms. Of these, 36 percent of the
victims were younger than 5. Keep little kitchen helpers in check:

• Never leave
  the kitchen when something’s cooking—a fire or accident can happen in an
  instant.
• Keep
  children at least three feet away from all cooking appliances.
• Never hold
  a child while cooking or when removing hot food from the microwave, oven, or
  stove.
• Turn pot
  handles in, away from reaching hands.
• Use the
  back burners on the cooktop whenever possible.
• Hot tap
  water scalds can be prevented by lowering the setting on water heater
  thermostats to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or below and by installing anti-scald
  devices in water faucets.
• Once your
  holiday meal is ready, check that the stove and oven are turned off and that
  other kitchen appliances are unplugged and out of reach.

Source: Electrical Safety
Foundation International