Essential New Year’s Eve Safety Tips

Amidst all the revelry to kick off the New Year, you mustn’t overlook a very important consideration for New Year’s Eve parties: safety.

Did you know that in 2010, 13,000 people were treated for holiday-related injuries? Fire and alcohol related injuries are common this time of year, thanks to lights, fireplaces, Christmas trees, and holiday parties.

So how do you prevent holiday-related injuries from happening to your family? Here are some things that you can do:

Driving Safely

• If people in your group plan on drinking, always have a designated driver.
• Make sure your car is gassed up and properly maintained. A car breakdown will spoil the fun.
• Keep a stash of plastic bags, water, and first-aid essentials in the car.
• If you are the designated driver, take people home in stages if you have to. Safety is more important than convenience.

Locking Up the House

• Replace all faulty locks and knobs in your home;  nothing lasts forever.
• Don’t leave your key hidden under your mat, in a potted plant, or anywhere outside your home. That is one of our  top ten home security mistakes to avoid. Instead, leave a set of keys with a trusted neighbor, relative or friend.
• Create a checklist posted behind your front door. The checklist should remind you about which windows and locks to close as well as the items you need to bring.
• If you’ll be out for a long time, leave some lights on, and even music or the television, to make it appear like you’re home.
• Test your smoke alarms and put the volume at the highest level.
• Don’t forget to activate your home security system when you leave.

Fire Hazards

• Turn off your holiday decorations when you leave. If you want to keep some on, make sure these are outside and  that are away from your house.
• Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The electricity can charge your tree and make it even more of a fire hazard.
• Use Ground Fault Circuit Interruptors on outdoor decorations. These help prevent circuit shortages from affecting the inside of your house.
• Supervise kids around candles, lights, fire, and other Holiday hazards.

Hosting a Party

• Read How to Throw a Safe Holiday Party and in addition:
• Designate informal sober monitors (SM) to check that people are having fun responsibly.
• Don’t forget to acquire your Noise Permit from local authorities.
• Include water, non-alcoholic drinks and snacks for guests under 21 years old and your SMs.
• Double up on your first-aid kit contents. You may have more than one untoward incident during the party.
• Plan a guest list and keep your party details private.
• Put signs on private bedrooms, bathrooms and family areas that guests shouldn’t use for the party.
• Lock all other windows and exits and have only one main entrance for the party so you can control who is in your home.
• Know local laws and ordinances like these about noise levels, drinking and partying.
• Smokers should not smoke inside the house. Provide deep ashtrays and pour water on the cigarette butts before throwing them away.
• Watch out for signs of alcohol poisoning and be ready to call 911 if things get out of hand.
• Get a sitter for the kids and designate an area where they can play safely with an adult supervising them.

Going to a Party

• Stay inside the house or within property boundaries during the party. Straying can get both you and the host in trouble.
• Check your home security system and cameras periodically while you’re out.
• Protect the host and your friends’ property.
• Keep identification on you at all times. In case of an emergency, set your phone to be able dial your spouse, sibling or parents, even when it’s locked.
• Tell trusted friends and family where you are.
• If you’ll be out for a long time, ask someone to watch the house while you’re away. Your pets need attention too. This article can help.

 
The best holidays make the best memories. Reducing the chances of anything happening is the smart thing to do.

What other safety tips can you share with the Kuna community? Tell us in the comments and we’ll include it in this list!

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