Are you ready for the winter weather and busy holiday season? Stay safe and warm with these essential Holiday Safety Tips from BPI: 6 essential tips for a safe and warm winter season.
Holiday Safety Tips from BPI

When it comes to keeping all your winter preparations and holiday shopping lists straight, it’s easy to forget something in the shuffle. The team at BPI wants you to stay safe and warm, and to enjoy the holidays without worry, so we’ve put together this list of Holiday Safety Tips from BPI. Follow these expert recommendations to ensure a safe, warm, and stress-free winter season.

 

  1. Get your home ready for winter

  • Consumer Reports has some tips, such as having your fireplace (wood or gas) cleaned and inspected annually to prevent fires and possible carbon monoxide poisoning. Ashes can remain hot for several days, so avoid the risk of fire by using a metal ash catcher or an EPA-certified ash-disposal system to dispose of any embers.
  • Repair loose roofing shingles. A single cubic foot of snow or ice can weigh 20 to 25 pounds and that weight can cause loose shingles to shift, allowing water or moisture to leak into your home. GAF roofing has some tips on how to maintain your roof.
  • Keep your home secure over the holidays with these tips from SafeHome.org
  • Be prepared for disasters and other emergencies with well-stocked emergency kits for your home, workplace and automobile.

 

  1. Put up your holiday lights and décor safely.

 

  1. Use space heaters safely.

Many people use space heaters once the weather gets colder. Good Housekeeping notes it’s critical to know that space heaters CANNOT be plugged into power strips or extension cords – they must be plugged directly into a wall outlet. Power strips and extension cords are not designed to handle the high current flow required by a space heater and can overheat, causing a fire.

 

  1. Have a working Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector.

  • Protect your family from carbon monoxide poisoning by installing a battery-operated CO detector in your home or business and check the batteries regularly. Since CO is odorless, you won’t know you have a leak without a detector in place until it’s too late.
  • Did you know that most hotels, resorts and vacation home rentals are not required to have CO detectors installed according to the Jenkins Foundation, a nonprofit that tracks carbon monoxide incidents at hotels? If you’re travelling, it makes sense to invest $30 in your own CO detector to bring along, preventing an easily remedied tragedy.
  • Use generators, pressure washers, grills and similar items outdoors only. Generators should be used at least 20 feet away from your home.

 

  1. Keep your home fire safe.Holiday Safety Tips from BPI

Fires are the nation’s most frequent disaster, so it’s important to be prepared with working smoke alarms. Fires are commonly caused by unattended heat sources (stoves, oil fryers, grills and candles), short circuits and electrical failures (too many plugs in one outlet without a surge suppressor), discarded materials (cigarettes, aerosol cans or fireplace embers) and combustibles too close to heat sources.

 

  1. Stay safe, healthy and warm this season.

We’ve got some great tips from the CDC to ensure you are prepared for winter weather and the holiday season.

Enjoy your holidays and contact BPI for one of our reputable dealers near you for any winterization or safety supplies you need to keep your family safe and warm.