The holidays are upon us, and with them, opportunities to enjoy celebrations with family, neighbors, colleagues and friends. As you plan your holiday season 2022, please consider these safety tips, designed to help you safely make the most of the happiest time of the year, at the office. Since we do both residential and commercial windows and often focus on homes, these holiday safety tips are tailored to workplace safety.
10 Holiday Office Safety Tips
When decorating, be mindful of the risk of fire hazard.
- Never leave sources of fire or heat unattended. This includes candles, decorative holiday lights and more. Candles start two out of five home decoration structure-fires. When you leave the office at night or for the weekend, make sure holiday lights are turned off.
- If your office has a fireplace, make sure the gas is turned off when people no one is in the building.And never burn wrapping paper in the chimney, as most contain toxic chemicals.
- Don’t overload electrical sockets. According to the S. Fire Administration (USFA), one out of every Christmas tree fires is caused by electrical problems. While it may be time consuming to consider voltage and load, the investment of time will be well worth it, even if the tree you are decorating is in your office instead of at your residence.
- Carefully consider tree selection and placement. A heat source positioned too close to Christmas trees causes one in every four Christmas tree fires. In office spaces, which are often tight on communal space, minimize risk with minimalism. In small spaces, less is more. And if the founder of your company chose the office tree decades ago, consider replacing it with something that meets or exceeds
modern safety standards. - When in doubt, toss it out. A good rule of thumb not just during the holidays that all year long, this adage applies to any item you pull out of the holiday box. For example, your office box could contain asbestos-based artificial snow, which was popular in the 1940’s. You won’t find it in stores today because of the associated safety hazard. If something is so old you can’t recognize what it is, you’re probably safest to leave it alone.
- Keep exits accessible. Don’t obstruct walkways with large holiday displays or empty boxes. Emergencies happen even in December.
- Don’t block fire extinguishers or evacuation instructions. While your regular office décor likely allows for easy access to safety equipment, you may be tempted to cover fire extinguishers with decorations. Don’t do it. Safety should come first, even during the holidays.
- Never use damaged accessories, cords, lighting sources, etc. Frayed cords and cracked bulbs could short and pose a hazard. Nip risk in the bud by replacing with modern equipment.
- Go “non-flammable”. When purchasing new holiday decorator items, choose items made from non-flammable materials. Seems like a no-brainer. But if it was, they wouldn’t have to label those items that made the grade.
- Be wise. Don’t overindulge at the office party and then drive home. We want you to make it to 2023.
About Elliott Window Cleaning in Meridian, Idaho
We established Elliott Window Cleaning in 2019. But our history runs much deeper. In fact, this family owned, and operated business began in Hood River, Oregon in 1984, where Monty Elliott learned the window cleaning trade from his father. Over the years, Monty has always washed windows – whether it was on the side or as a full-time business. In 2019, Monty and his oldest son, Cody, decided to begin serving the Treasure Valley once again. As a result, all four family members spend their time running the most reliable, friendly, and thorough window cleaning company in the Treasure Valley. At Elliott Window Cleaning, we build trust with each customer and strive to provide an elite experience. For a free, no-obligation quote, call today Call: (208) 600-3154.