Prevent injuries this holiday season

‘Tis the season for holiday cheer, but Del Sol Medical Center says it’s also the season for injuries if you’re not careful.

ABC-7 spoke with the trauma medical director Stephen Flaherty about safety tips this holiday season.

“This time of they year we see a lot of people putting up decorations. They are standing up on ladders and there is a risk of the ladder falling,” Flaherty said. “There is an increase in incidents of people suffering falls from ladders and suffering back or hip injuries this time of year.”

Flaherty encourages people to find solid footing while using a ladder, to keep it from shifting or moving while they’re using it.

Many people will spend a lot of time in the kitchen during the holidays, and causes trauma centers see more burn injuries, Flaherty said. He encourages people to be careful with indoor candles by keeping them out of reach of children and away from anything flammable.

Electrical fires are a risk as well.

“We have to be very cognizcant of the load we are putting on the circuits. Don’t plug too many items onto the circuit or you can start an electrical fire,” Flaherty said.

The best thing to do for a burn is to cover it with a clean item to prevent heat loss through the burned tissue, he said.

“(There are) choking hazards this time of the year, with gifts (for) little children…. Even little foods are… a very significant concern. You want to make sure any of those items are out of reach from children,” Flaherty said.

If you are injured call 911 and wait for EMS to arrive.