Christmas is a time for celebrations, with many family and friends coming together to enjoy the festivities. Without taking extra care, it is easy to become distracted with so much going on and easy for disaster to strike.

We would like to ensure everyone has a safe and happy festive season and asks that you take a moment to read our top tips for keeping you and your family safe this Christmas and New Year.

Christmas is a time when your home is likely to be full of people and it is in the excitement of the season that accidents can easily happen. But one of the good things about Christmas is that there are typically more people around to supervise the children and, with a little more care and forward planning, most accidents could be avoided.

Please follow our advice for keeping safe this Christmas and New Year:

Enjoying a drink at Christmas
Do not drink and drive, and plan long journeys so you won't be driving tired
Keep an eye on your drinks and never leave them unattended. Even soft drinks could get spiked.
Getting behind the wheel after drinking can have tragic consequences, our advice is simple, don’t drink and drive.

Safer Cooking
Give yourself enough time to prepare and cook Christmas dinner to avoid hot fat, boiling water and sharp knife accidents that come from rushing, and keep anyone not helping with dinner out of the kitchen. Wipe up any spills quickly

The majority of fires start in the kitchen so this is a high risk area. Many of us enjoy a merry tipple over the festive season but be sure to avoid cooking whilst under the influence of alcohol.

Never cook after drinking – you can easily become distracted.
• If you've been out for the night get a take away rather than attempt to cook.
• Turn off all appliances when you have finished cooking.
• Be wary of being distracted due to a houseful of guests.
• Never leave cooking unattended.

Candle Safety
• Keep candles away from decorations, Christmas trees, cards, wrapping paper, fires, lights and heaters.
• Never leave burning candles unattended.
• Ensure candles are out of reach from pets and children.

Think safe and stay safe.

For more public health information, visit http://naijanursesforum.com/viewforum.php?f=20/