Decorate for holidays with safety in mind

Ah, the holidays - 'tis the season for twinkling lights, gently glowing candles and festive décor. Unfortunately, it's also the season for thousands of decorating related injuries and decorationfueled home fires.

Who would think holiday decorations could be hazardous to your health and your family's safety? Decorationrelated disasters are far more common than you might think. According to the National Fire Protection Association, December and January are the peak months for the overall number of home fires, deaths and injuries. Families looking to spread holiday cheer should be aware that each year an average of 240 home fires start with Christmas trees and an additional 1,300 begin with various other seasonal decorations.

"You can keep your holidays bright and memorable for the right reasons by following a few simple safety guidelines," says John Drengenberg, manager of Consumer Affairs for Underwriters Laboratories (UL), one of the world's leading product safety certification organizations that tests more than 19,000 types of products each year.

The NFPA and UL recommend families practice "TLC" — Tree, Light and Candle safety — when decorating this holiday season.

To learn more about how to have a safe and worry-free holiday, please visit, www.ul.com/newsroom/gift.