12/19/2007

Jersey City Medical Center Promotes Holiday Safety

JERSEY CITY – During the holiday season homes are adorned with decorations, candles and colored lights and emergency rooms are filled with injuries.

More than 12,000 people are treated in the nation's emergency rooms each year due to falls, cuts, electrical shocks and burns from faulty holiday decorations or accidents that occur while putting decorations in place, according to government statistics.

“Shopping, visiting family and friends, attending holiday parties, this can be a pretty hectic time. People are generally paying less attention during this mad rush and fail to follow proper safety precautions, many times winding up in our Emergency Department,” said Dr. Neal Shipley, acting chief medical officer
for Jersey City Medical Center and chairman of the Department
of Emergency Medicine.

The holiday season also means parties where alcohol is served. In December 2004, more than 1,000 people were killed in accidents that involved a car or motorcycle driver who was legally drunk, meaning a blood alcohol content level of .08 or higher, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

To remain safe during the holidays, Jersey City Medical Centers offers the following tips:

• Clear snow and leaves from pathways and sprinkle salt on patches of ice.
• Make sure children sled in safe, hazard free areas.
• Wear seatbelts at all times.
• Never drink alcohol and drive - designate a driver.
• Never leave burning candles unattended.
• Make sure decorative lights are not broken and the wires are not bare or frayed.
• Turn off all decorative lights before going to bed or leaving the house.
• Avoid using sharp decorations and ornaments.
• Keep Christmas trees away from fireplaces or other areas where high heat is present.
• Use the appropriate size ladder for any decorating job and have someone help you
• When buying a live tree, check for freshness (green, full of needles, sticky trunk). Fresh trees are less of a fire hazard and should be watered frequently.

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