The holiday season is fast approaching. As you plan your personal celebrations, it’s essential to prepare for your professional ones as well. Holiday parties are a great way to bring the office together and end the year on a positive note. Still, they can also be stressful without taking the necessary fire safety precautions.
Fire safety is often overlooked in favor of decoration for holiday parties, but the two are not mutually exclusive. We’ve compiled a list of safety precautions you can take to ensure your office party is not only safe but a winter delight.
Holiday Fire Safety Facts
One-fifth of Christmas tree fires start because a heat source, like a candle, or holiday lights, were too close to the tree.
One-third (31%) of Christmas tree fires were the result of electrical failures or malfunctions.
Three of every five candle fires started when something that could burn, such as furniture, mattresses or bedding, curtains, or decorations, was too close to the candle.
The U.S. Fire Administration notes that winter holiday fires cause more damage and injury than the average fire.
Dried out Christmas trees burn fast with a flashover occurring in less than one minute.
1. Wires
According to the National Fire Protection Association, electricity played a role in 45% of Christmas tree fires.
Wires are a necessary evil when it comes to holiday decorating. If you are using electronics, lights, or other decorations with wires, here are a couple tips to make sure your office stays safe:
- Keep wires out of walkways
- Organize your wires as best you can
- Use indoor and outdoor lights appropriately
- Turn off electrical decorations after use
2. Candles
Candles (especially cinnamon or peppermint scented) provide a great accent touch to anyone’s holiday decorations.
But, they pose an entirely new challenge when it comes to fire safety. An errant elbow or accidental table bump can start a fire and ruin your holiday party.
Make sure someone always has an eye on any open flames and that the area around the candle is clear of anything flammable.
As an alternative to real candles, we advise you to go with electronic options.
Electronic candles are becoming increasingly more realistic and hold up for many years. Because most run on batteries, they also eliminate the wire risk.
If you’re trying to set the right holiday mood, candles are a great lighting option as long as you make sure you keep fire safety in mind.
3. Trees
A beautiful holiday tree can be the centerpiece for any party. But with so many different tree options available, what are your safest options?
If you’re going to go with a real tree, be aware that you’re going to need to be extra careful when it comes to preventing fires.
Keep your real tree away from any heat sources such as fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents, or lights.
Also, if you decide to use actual candles, avoid catching your tree with any open flames.
One suggestion is to go with an artificial tree. Artificial trees and candles are not only the safer alternative, but they are more cost-effective as well.
You can always look for one that’s “flame resistant” or “fire-retardant.”
Artificial trees require much less maintenance, still look beautiful, and offer fewer fire risks.
4. Fire Alarms and Sprinklers
Are your decorations covering your fire alarms or sprinklers?
Make sure that these devices are left alone when decorating your office. It may be tempting to wrap the garland around or hang mistletoe from the sprinkler, but risking a fire isn’t worth the decor.
If a fire does start in the building, your fire protection system needs to be able to detect the smoke so that you and your colleagues are immediately alerted.
It never hurts to get your fire protection system inspected before your holiday party.
Stay Safe this Holiday Season
Should you find that your fire alarm system is not working as it should, Allegiant Fire Protection is here to help. Our team of expert fire safety technicians are ready to keep the holiday season as stress-free as possible by keeping your alarms and sprinklers in stellar condition.
Additionally, our support staff have the answers to any questions or concerns you may have about your safety system. Contact us today to discuss your fire safety needs.