Decorating is one of the most eagerly anticipated activities of the holiday season, but each year brings an average of 15,000 personal injuries resulting from decking the halls. From straining one’s back while lifting heavy items to falling off the ladder while putting up the lights, holiday decorating is wrought with peril and should not be approached lightly. At Gregory S. Young Co., LPA, our Cincinnati personal injury attorneys want to help you avoid falling victim to the most common holiday decorating injuries. To hang some holiday cheer safely, utilize the following tips.

Lift With Your Legs

Back and neck injuries are the two most common types of injuries seen during the holiday season. From that eight-foot Christmas tree to the boxes of lights, ornaments and other household adornments, decorating for Christmas involves a lot of heavy lifting. To avoid throwing out your back or hurting your neck, always lift with your legs, and never try to lift more than you comfortably can. Most importantly, ask for help when you need it, as dividing a heavy load can go a long ways towards preventing otherwise avoidable injuries.

Heed Ladder Warnings

From putting the lights up on the house to placing the star at the top of the tree, a great deal of holiday decorating involves the use of a ladder. When using a ladder, make sure that it is grounded properly, that there is someone else around to hold the base for you, and that you heed the warning label on the top step to avoid injury.

Check Your Lights

Faulty Christmas lights have been starting house fires for decades. While Christmas lights have come a long ways from the hazardous string of bulbs they used to be, an exposed wire or defective plug could put your home at risk. Before wrapping a string of lights around your tree or using it to line the roof of your home, plug it in and make sure that all the lights work, that there are no broken bulbs or cracks in the wire casing, and that all the plugs are in good working order.  

Supervise Open Flames

Candles and a fire burning in the fireplace add a nice, warm glow to the otherwise cold, dreary atmosphere of December, but while they’re pretty to look at, they can also be hazardous. If you decorate with candles, keep them away from curtains and other flammable materials such as fake snow, tinsel and garland. If you have a fireplace, be sure to move your stockings and other decorations before lighting it, and keep the opening covered with a metal grate or glass door.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a holiday decorating accident, call Gregory S. Young Co., LPA at (513) 721-1077 or visit our Cincinnati law firm’s personal injury website to learn more about your legal options. We are available 24/7 to handle personal injury cases throughout the Ohio and Kentucky areas. When you need a personal injury lawyer on your side, we are ready to help.