SEAWOOD HOLIDAY NEWS!!!

 As you trim the tree and deck the halls, it's important to take special care to make sure that your holiday traditions stay safe and healthy. Each year, hospital emergency rooms treat about 12,800 people for falls, cuts, shocks, and burns due to incidents involving faulty holiday lights, dried-out Christmas trees and other holiday decorations, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Christmas trees are involved in about 300 fires annually, resulting in an average of 10 deaths, 40 injuries and about $7 million in property damage and loss, the CPSC says. To keep this holiday season a merry one, try to remember a few safety suggestions. We would like to remind tenants to refrain from climbing on the roof tops.  Feel free to put up Christmas lights, however, “DO NOT” nail, or otherwise attach anything to the siding.  When hanging lights on the facia boards, remember to please use the clips, NO NAILS or STAPLES.  Please remember to take them down shortly after the holidays. If you're buying a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and do not break when bent between your fingers. The bottom of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles. Cut a few inches off the trunk of your tree to expose the fresh wood. This allows for better water absorption and will help to keep your tree from drying out and becoming a fire hazard. Use only lights tested for safety by a nationally recognized Testing Laboratory, such as UL or ETL/ITSNA. Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Throw out damaged sets. If using an extension cord, make sure it's rated for the intended use (indoor versus outdoor, for example).
Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted