The U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center presents Safety Shorts. These short videos cover a wide variety of safety and risk management related topics and are great for use in your safety briefs anytime, anywhere.
From late November to mid-January, when families gather, parties are scheduled and travel spikes, safety should be top of mind. Following is tried-and-true advice to ensure your family remains safe and injury-free throughout the season.
Traveling for the Holidays? Be Prepared - According to the National Safety Counsel (NSC) statistics, traveling by car during the holidays has the highest fatality rate of any major form of transportation based on fatalities per passenger mile. Hundreds of people die every year in crashes on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, according to iInjury fFacts. Alcohol impairment is involved in about a third of these fatalities. Stay safe on the roads over the holidays — and every day:
● Prepare your car for winter and keep an emergency kit with you
● Get a good night’s sleep before departing and avoid drowsy driving
● Make sure every person in the vehicle is properly buckled up no matter how long or short the distance traveled
● Put that cell phone away; many distractions occur while driving, but cell phones are the main culprit
● Practice defensive driving
● Designate a sober driver to ensure guests make it home safely after a holiday party; alcohol or over-the-counter, prescription and illegal drugs can cause impairment
Decorate Safely - Decorating is one of the best ways to get in a holiday mood, but emergency rooms see thousands of injuries involving holiday decorating every season.
When decorating follow these tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:
● Keep potentially poisonous plants – mistletoe, holly berries, Jerusalem cherry and amaryllis – away from children
● If using an artificial tree, check that it is labeled “fire resistant”
● If using a live tree, cut off about 2 inches of the trunk to expose fresh wood for better water absorption, remember to water it, and remove it from your home when it is dry
● Place your tree at least 3 feet away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources
● Avoid placing breakable ornaments or ones with small, detachable parts on lower tree branches where small children can reach them
● Only use indoor lights indoors and outdoor lights outdoors, and choose the right ladder for the task when hanging lights
● Replace light sets that have broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections
● Never nail, tack or stress wiring when hanging lights and keep plugs off the ground away from puddles and snow
● Turn off all lights and decorations when you go to bed or leave the house
Watch Out for Fire-Starters - Use The use of candles and fireplaces, combined with an increase in the amount of combustible, seasonal decorations in many homes during the holidays, means more risk for fire. The National Fire Protection Association reports that one-third of home decoration fires are started by candles and that two of every five decoration fires happen because the decorations are placed too close to a heat source.
● Place candles where they cannot be knocked down or blown over and out of reach of children
● Keep matches and lighters up high and out of reach of children in a locked cabinet
● Use flameless, rather than lighted, candles near flammable objects
● Don't burn trees, wreaths or wrapping paper in the fireplace
● Use a screen on the fireplace at all times when a fire is burning
● Never leave candles or fireplaces burning unattended or when you are asleep
● Check and clean the chimney and fireplace area at least once a year
Turkey Fryers - Be alert to the dangers if you're thinking of celebrating the holidays by frying a turkey. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports there have been hundreds of turkey-fryer related fires, burns or other injuries, and millions of dollars in property damage losses from these incidents.
Food Poisoning Is No Joke - Keep your holidays happy by handling food safely. The foodsafety.gov website from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides some valuable holiday food safety tips:
● Wash your hands frequently when handling food
● Keep raw meat away from fresh produce
● Use separate cutting boards, plates and utensils for uncooked and cooked meats to avoid cross-contamination
● Use a food thermometer to make sure meat is cooked to a safe temperature and Refrigerate hot or cold leftover food within two hours of being served
Leaders, ensure you are engaging your Soldiers and providing the information required for them to safely enjoy their holiday season. Remind them often that safety is no laughing matter; real-life actions may have real-life repercussions. Actively managing risks associated with off-duty activities is the key to saving their lives.
| Date Taken: | 02.08.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.29.2024 09:13 |
| Category: | PSA |
| Video ID: | 914142 |
| VIRIN: | 240208-A-XQ873-7884 |
| Filename: | DOD_110150748 |
| Length: | 00:00:42 |
| Location: | US |
| Downloads: | 3 |
| High-Res. Downloads: | 3 |
This work, USACRCSaftey Short - Holiday Safety, by Angela Grice and JE Snowden, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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