Health Canada: Tips for holiday safety

Adele Novak, Health Canada

December 10, 2024

As appealing as they are, these home decorations, as well as certain gifts, can pose a risk and cause injuries.

Here's five categories of products designed to brighten your holidays, but that could also ruin them if not used as intended. We encourage you to follow these tips to help minimize the risks.

Batteries

• Avoid gifts and decorations that contain button batteries.
• If swallowed, a button battery can cause severe internal chemical burns in just 2 hours. Be aware of products in your home that contain them (watches, decorations, some toys, etc.). Check the compartments regularly to ensure that children cannot access the batteries, and ensure the batteries are properly installed by an adult.
• If you suspect your child has swallowed a button battery, take your child to the nearest emergency department immediately. Giving honey to a child on the way to the hospital can reduce the risk of serious injury.

Toys

In Canada, all toys are regulated to make sure they are safe for use by children. Even so, unsafe toys can make their way onto store shelves and into homes. Sometimes, the ways toys are used can expose children to hazards, and other times, it is buying toys online that poses a risk, since we cannot tell whether they are counterfeit or of poor quality.

• When buying toys, look for sturdy and well-made ones that include the manufacturer's contact information.
• Read and follow all age labels and safety messages. Toys intended for older children may have small parts or other features that make them unsafe for younger children.
• Keep small toys and any loose parts/accessories, such as button batteries, out of the reach of children under three years of age, who tend to put objects in their mouths and could choke.

Health Canada regularly issues recalls and safety alerts for toys and other items that can pose risks like choking, falls, injuries, burns, or ingestion hazards.

Holiday trees

• Place the tree away from heating vents, radiators, stoves, fireplaces and burning candles.
• Make sure live trees are green and that its needles do not come off or break easily. Water it to prevent it from drying out prematurely. Dispose of it as per municipal rules after the holidays or when it is dry.

Holiday lights

• Only use lights that have the mark of an accredited certification agency in Canada, such as CSA, cUL or cETL.
• Light strings are rated for indoor or outdoor use. Choose accordingly.
• Discard any wires that are frayed or have exposed wires, loose connections or broken light sockets.
• Avoid plugging too many lights into an outlet. Overloaded circuits can overheat and start a fire.

Candles

Candles can be a serious fire hazard if not used properly.

• Extinguish all candles before going to bed or leaving the room. Never leave burning candles unattended.
• Do not burn candles on or near anything that could catch fire (like curtains, bedding, combustible decorations and clothing).
• Cut candle wicks short to prevent high flames. Preferably use flameless candles.