Safety during the holidays

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Alberto V. Da Silva
  • 325th Fighter Wing Ground Safety
The winter holiday season is here! Everyone is getting ready for holiday parties, family visits and travel. 

These events can be very fulfilling and fun, but each come with a set of unique risks that can be avoided with proper planning. 

Holiday parties can be a big hit but also come with many risks.

- Alcohol and driving don't mix, so have a plan for your guests on how they can get home safely or simply stay.
- Encourage everyone to drink responsibly.
- Have a designated driver.
- Be a good Wingman, no party is worth a career or a life.

Holiday time is also time for decorations. Some can be simple all the way up to super extravagant.

- Be sure not to over load your breakers by having too much on one circuit.
- Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to decorate a tree.
- Follow manufactures' recommendation when plugging in multiple lights.
- Do NOT run electrical cords under rugs (foot traffic can degrade the insulation and cause the wires to overheat).
- Keep heat and flame items away from trees and other decorations. Fires are one of the biggest problems around the holiday season.
- Do not leave your decorations on while asleep or out of the home.
- Be aware, electrical fires can start inside walls and areas where they can go undetected until it is too late.

Lastly, it's travel time. Driving a vehicle has its own set of risks, but when you add traveling over a long distance while being rushed and fatigue, many more risks come into play.

- Before starting the trip, have the vehicle inspected (tires, brakes, lights, and etc.).
- Ensure everyone is properly buckled up to include whatever cargo you may be carrying in or on your vehicle.
- Avoid driving late at night or in the early morning hours. This is when crashes often occur due to fatigued drivers or drivers under the influence of alcohol.
- Do not drive rushed, it is best to complete that trip then to never make it at all. Give yourself plenty of time to travel, plan for possible break downs or detours and be patient. 
- Plan for the weather and road conditions of where you are going. Rain, ice, fog and closed roads are all things that can make a simple trip become dangerous. Be familiar on how to navigate in such events or simply reschedule until the conditions get better. 

The 325th Fighter Wing Safety office wants everyone to enjoy the holidays without becoming a statistic.