by Allison Hester, Publisher

Download the pdf file here:holiday lights

You can also download/read a more generalized article on safe holiday decorating by clicking here.

The holiday season is a great time to reach out to your customers and remind them they matter to you. To help with that, we’ve put together two holiday-related resources for you to use however you want. Copy and paste the text or download the formatted pdf file. Put it on a blog page. Post it to your Facebook page. Send it out in an email blast. The point is, the information is timely, thoughtful and, perhaps best of all, it’s ready to use.

This particular article can also be used to help promote the value in using a professional to hang holiday lights and decorations — a task that many of our readers take on this time of year.

Santa may be a pro at walking on roofs and climbing down chimneys, but most homeowners are not.

Thousands of Americans end up in the emergency room each holiday season due to falls when hanging holiday lights or decorations. While broken bones are the most common types of injuries, falls can be fatal.

• Around 165,000 Americans require medical treatment for ladder-related falls each year (CDC Study).

• Four out of five American homes use ladders around their homes to prepare for the holidays. (Home Safety Council Study)

• 97% of ladder injuries occur at home. (American Journal of Preventative Medicine)

• Winter weather adds risks – wet/icy conditions and condensation make ladders and roofs slippery, and blustery wind can cause ladders to become unstable.

• Men are 40% more likely than women to be treated for ladder-related injuries (CDC).

• Injury severity increases with age.

To ensure you and your family have the happiest of holidays, your safest bet is to hire a professional to handle hanging those Christmas lights and decorations for you.

If you choose to handle it yourself, however, here are some ladder safety tips from OSHA to remember:

• Make sure your ladder is on secure and level ground before climbing.

• Keep the area around the top and bottom of the ladder clear.

• Space the base of the ladder one foot away from the wall for every four feet it extends up.

• Stay centered between the rails of the ladder. Do not overreach. Move the ladder instead.

• Do not stand on the top two rungs of the ladder.

• To reach a roof, extend the ladder at least three feet beyond the top of the roof.

• Ensure step ladders are securely locked open. Never use a folding step ladder if it is closed.