Is your home ready for the winter season? Following are 10 tips to make your house safe and secure all winter.

1. Check your heating system. Household fires frequently occur during winter months, often as a result of a faulty heating system.

Furnaces require annual checkups to ensure that all working parts are in good order. Whether you heat with natural gas, oil, propane or wood, you should thoroughly inspect your furnace or stove, chimney and duct system at the beginning of the heating system. Filters should also be changed at regular intervals. A thorough check can be arranged through companies that supply gas and oil to homes.

2. A Safe Hearth. Before using a fireplace for the first time, check the chimney to ensure there is no buildup of creosote or other obstructions such as a bird’s nest or dead animal blocking emissions. A blocked chimney will allow dangerous fumes to build up inside the house.

A carbon dioxide monitor plugged into an electrical outlet can warn residents of unsafe carbon dioxide levels. Monitors are available through power companies and department stores.

3. Handle Candles With Care. Candles cast a warm glow over family celebrations and quiet evenings at home, but left untended, they can turn deadly. Burning candles should never be left unattended and should always be placed on a nonflammable surface away from curtains, paper and other flammable materials.

Don’t allow children to play with candles or use them in an unsupervised setting. Open flames always pose a potential hazard so snuff that flame when you can’t be there to watch.

4. Beware the Slippery Steps. Winter brings ice and snow that can make steps, paths and driveways one quick slip away from the emergency room. While children may enjoy the challenge of a slippery slide, adults and seniors aren’t so flexible and can sustain broken bones and other serious injuries in a fall on icy steps or paths.

Keep steps and entrances to your house clear of snow and buy a bag of salt or sand to spread in icy weather.

Just as snow tires help your car get better traction in slippery conditions, boots or shoes with good tread will help keep everyone in the family on a firm footing in winter.

5. Shovel Snow With Caution. Shoveling snow can be a good workout for the physically fit, burning up to 600 calories an hour. But for those who lead a more sedentary lifestyle, a period of extended shoveling in cold conditions can increase the risk of heart attack. Heart attacks are more likely to occur in early morning hours, when many people shovel out of necessity.

Ask for help if you’re not fit. If you live in a snowbelt area, consider contracting with a snow removal service. Those who shovel should try to remove snow soon after it falls, when it tends to be lighter and before it builds up. Try to push the snow rather than lift it. If you lift and throw the snow, don’t load the shovel. Physical therapists suggest that loads should be limited to 25 pounds. More can strain your back as well as taxing your heart.

When shoveling, try to bend your legs rather than your back. Bending your knees and sitting into the shoveling move reduces pressure on your back and keeps the lower back straight. Keep the loaded shovel close to your body as you lift and throw the snow.

6. Snowblower Woes. Although using a snowblower may seem a safer alternative to shoveling for the not-so-fit, a report from the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, suggests that the link between sudden heart attack and snow removal remains even for those using snowblowers. Hospital records showed that even the limited demands of using a snowblower can be too much for some people with risk factors for heart disease.

Snowblowers are often the cause of serious hand and finger injuries, even in the young and fit. Many finger and hand amputations occur when users try to clear the exit chute when it becomes clogged with snow.

If the chute becomes clogged it is important to disengage the clutch, turn off the machine and unplug the spark plug, then use a tool such as a long broom handle to clear the snow. Never use your hands. Even with the engine off there can be enough tension in the blades to cause finger injuries.

7. Choose Yule Tree With Care. Whether your tree is fresh or artificial, it’s important to select one that won’t pose a fire hazard.

When choosing a fresh tree, grasp the ends of branches and give a little tug, then bang the tree firmly on the ground. If you see a shower of pine needles on the ground the tree is already beginning to dry out. Look for one with needles that are dark green and resistant to falling off.

Cut an inch or two off the bottom of the trunk before putting your tree in a stand. A fresh cut allows it to take up water and stay fresh in the house longer. Fill the stand with water right away and check it each day to ensure it doesn’t dry out.

Before buying an artificial tree, check the tag for flammability ratings. Many artificial trees are fire resistant. Make sure you get one that is.

8. Don’t Trip Up With The Lights Fantastic. Use caution and common sense when lighting your tree and the outside of your house. Use only lights that have been tested for safety. They come with a label that states they were tested by an independent testing laboratory. Discard old light sets that are damaged or with frayed wires or cracked sockets.

A good rule of thumb is to use no more than three sets of lights for each single extension cord. If you use an extension cord outdoors, make sure it’s safe for outdoor use.
Never put lights on a metallic tree. It can pose a risk of electrocution if there’s a faulty bulb.
Turn off all lights before going to bed and before leaving the house. A short in lights could start a fire.

9. Holiday Food Safety. Winter holidays are a time when people gather for parties and large family dinners. Avoid food poisoning with commonsense safety rules. Traditional favorites like eggnog made with raw eggs pose a risk of salmonella poisoning. Instead buy a pasteurized eggnog mix from the grocery store.

If you’re planning a big meal or guests are bringing dishes make sure you have enough room to store food properly until serving time. A basic rule is to keep hot dishes hot and cold dishes cold. If you don’t have enough refrigerator space ask guests to bring cold dishes in a cooler.

Make sure all meat and poultry dishes are cooked to the minimum recommended temperatures. And be careful to avoid cross contamination between kitchen utensils and cutting boards when preparing meats and other dishes.

10. Stay Warm Indoors. Keep indoor temperatures warm enough to be comfortable. A United Kingdom study found a link between excess winter deaths and low indoor temperatures. The UK has an excess of 50,000 deaths in winter months, most from heart attacks, strokes and respiratory infection. Check your home for drafts, and stay warm with loose layered clothing.

REFERENCES:
“Digging Out Safely,” The University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, Janurary 1989.
Annabel Ferriman, “Excess Winter Deaths Linked to Temperatures in Cold Homes,” British Medical Journal, November 24, 2001.
“Holiday Decorating Safety Tips,” ED Nursing, November 2001.
Barbara Loecher, “No More Slipups,” Prevention, December 2000.
Tamra Orr, “The Cold Facts About Winter,” Current Health 2, January 2001.
“Snowblowers Don’t Cut MI Risk,” Family Practice News, July 15, 2001.
Paula Walter, “Home for the Holidays, Preventing Foodborne Illness at Family Gatherings,” FDA Consumer, November 2000.
“Winter: The Dangerous Season for Heart Failure,” Harvard Health Letter,
“Winter the Most Dangerous Season,” USA Today Magazine, October 2000.