Each year, emergency rooms treat about 10,800 people for injuries, such as falls, cuts and shocks, related to holiday lights, decorations and Christmas trees. In addition, 11,000 candle-related fires each year result in 150 deaths and 1,200 injuries. Christmas trees are involved in about 400 fires annually, resulting in 20 deaths, 70 injuries and an average of more than $15 million in property loss and damage. Protect your home and family by following this holiday safety checklist.

Never leave burning candles unattended; keep candles, matches and lighters away from children; and make sure holiday lights are approved by a recognized testing laboratory.

Use only artificial trees that have the label “Fire Resistant.” This does not mean the tree won’t catch fire, but it does indicate the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.

Check living trees for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break. The trunk of a fresh tree is sticky with resin. When tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.

Locate trees away from fireplaces and radiators, out of foot traffic, and away from doorways. Keep the stand filled with water and check daily.

Examine each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections, and throw out damaged sets. Replace burned-out bulbs promptly with the same wattage. Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord and make sure extension cords are rated for the intended use. Use lights with fused plugs.

Never use electric lights on metallic trees. The tree can become charged from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.

When using lights outdoors, check labels for outdoor use certification. Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect the lights from wind damage. Use only insulated staples to hold strings in place, never nails or tacks, or run strings of lights through hooks (available at hardware stores).

Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.

For added shock protection, plug outdoor lights and decorations into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters, or GFCIs. Portable outdoor GFCIs can be purchased where electrical supplies are sold or can be installed permanently by a qualified electrician. Use only noncombustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or “icicles” of plastic or nonleaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.

Never use lighted candles on a tree or near evergreens. Use nonflammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down.

If there are small children around, take special care to avoid sharp or breakable decorations, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to avoid a child swallowing or inhaling small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.

Wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with spun glass “angel hair.” Follow container directions carefully to avoid lung irritation while decorating with artificial snow sprays.

Keep “fire salts” (which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires) out of the reach of children. Fire salts contain heavy metals that cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten.

Do not burn wrapping paper in the fireplace. Wrappings ignite suddenly, burn intensely, and could cause a flash fire.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT/The Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. For help or to request individual or business membership information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.