The winter holiday season should be a joyous time of year. However, it is also one of the times when households are most at risk from certain types of fires and injuries. Specialist home insurer Hiscox is urging homeowners, not only to check their household insurance is up to date but to act responsibly this Christmas. Seasonal risks such as decorations which may burn easily, faulty tree lights, festive log fires and candles left burning can lead to accidents in and around the home.
National fire statistics indicate that Christmas is a particularly dangerous period, with more fires occurring in the home during this time than at any other in the year.
Steve Mayfield, Head of Direct Household at Hiscox, said: “Christmas is a time for relaxing at home with family and friends but it can be hazardous if people fail to take adequate safety precautions. People often put fire safety to the back of their minds when preparing for Christmas; however this is when there are additional fire hazards in the home and because of new and possibly more expensive gifts, there’s more to lose financially. A few simple equipment checks and other precautions can keep families safe to celebrate.”
“For example, investing in LED replacements for older style fairy lights makes sense” continues Steve. “Older light bulbs get hot, and if one bulb blows, the increased electricity to the remaining bulbs could be enough to start a fire, particularly if the tree they’re placed on has dried out.”
Hiscox has published a series of safety tips to help policyholders keep safe this Christmas:
– Fit a smoke alarm, or check the batteries on your existing alarm
– Invest in a fire extinguisher in case a small fire breaks out
– Never leave candles unattended
– Make sure candles are firmly secured and keep them away from draughts and curtains, furniture or anything else that could catch fire
– Never try to move a candle when it is alight
– Take care when throwing Christmas wrapping into the fireplace; the wrappings burn irregularly, and can send out dangerous sparks or chemicals which can cause explosions
– Test Christmas tree lights thoroughly and use no more than three strands linked together
– Never buy second hand Christmas tree lights unless they have been checked by an expert
– Remember to turn off all lights at night and when you leave the house
– We all use extra appliances at Christmas – ensure adapters and extension leads are not overloaded
– Ensure all cables and flexes are in good condition
– Upgrade old fairy lights and don’t use, or fix up, old frayed cords with tape
– If you burn a real fire, make sure it is out completely before going to bed or leaving the house
– Ashes should be taken out of the house and left to cool in a metal box
And when it comes to insurance, ensure:
– You have adequate insurance cover which is up to date
– Your contents insurance covers the value of any additional items in the house
Valuable items or gifts over the ‘Single Article Limit’ are specified on your insurance policy. Some contents insurance policies have a Single Article Limit that assumes that no single item covered by the policy is worth more than the amount stated. If you have personal possessions that exceed this amount, you will need to talk to your insurance company, or cover them under a specialist insurance policy. You may need to list and specify each item over the limit to have them included on your cover.
