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Savings / Safety Tips for December 2016 from All Safety Products, Inc.

9 Tips to Avoid Holiday Safety Hazards

Christmas is a time to celebrate, spend time with family and friends, and to relax. But, it's also a time when safety should be on your mind because the holiday season brings a unique combination of hazards into the home.

Christmas Light Safety

1. Make sure the holiday lights are meant for outdoor use. Lights made for outdoor use are designed to withstand cold and wet conditions. The tag near the plug will specify whether lights are made for indoor or outdoor use.

2. Make sure all cords and lights are intact. Frayed cords and cracked light bulbs are more likely to cause a fire.

3. Never leave lights on overnight. Be sure to turn off the lights before retiring for the night.

Christmas Tree Safety

1. If using a real tree, water often. A tree that dries out causes a fire hazard. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that one of every 31 reported home fires in the holidays is caused by a Christmas tree fire and results in death.

2. Keep the tree away from heat. Trees, unlike humans and animals, don't need to be kept warm during the winter months. This only dries the tree out and increases the risk of fire. Keep it away from the fireplace, space heaters, even living room lamps.

3. Use lights specifically created for indoor use. Although indoor and outdoor lights can look similar, they are very different. It may be tempting to use them interchangeably, but that is a bad idea.

Candle Safety

1. Use battery operated window or tree candles.

2. If traditional candles are a must, be very careful about placement. Place them on sturdy, non-flammable surfaces, away from decorations, curtains, the Christmas tree and anything else that could catch fire.

3. Do not allow candles to burn when no one is in the room.

All Safety Products provides a wide variety of safety vests.

HEALTHY TIP:

Sleep deprivation can build up!

Encourage your workers to get adequate sleep.

In the United States, sleep deprivation is now considered a public health epidemic. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that 50 million to 70 million people are affected by disorders of sleep or wakefulness.

When a person gets less sleep than he or she needs, over time, that deprivation builds up and can cause serious problems.

6 signs of sleep deprivation

The signs of sleep deprivation can range from mildly annoying to serious, affecting just one person, or the lives of many. Some of the signs that there's a sleep issue going on include the following:

1. Lack of enjoyment in activities that one usually finds enjoyable.
2. Difficulty in communicating clearly
3. Sleepiness during daily activities.
4. Slow reaction times.
5. Trouble with decision making.
6. Irritability and anger.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that adults, including the elderly, get between 7-8 hours of sleep, while teenagers need approximately 9-10 hours of sleep each night.

School-aged children need at least 10 hours a day. The amount of sleep that an individual requires varies, depending on factors like age, activity level, and other health issues.

5 effects of Sleep Deprivation

Over time, occasional bad sleep and continued poor sleep can build up, and affect life in some severe ways. These include:

1. Chronically sleep-deprived individuals are at risk of weight gain, which can lead to physical issues and unhappiness in general.

2. Hormone levels can be disrupted, particularly the stress hormone cortisol, and the appetite-regulating hormone, leptin.

3. Weakened immunity to illness.

4. Decreased alertness and reaction time can lead to accidents, for individuals who are driving, or just going about their day. WebMD notes that getting just 1.5 hours less sleep than needed can lead to a 32 percent reduction in alertness.

5. Increased mortality risk for those adults who get less than six hours of sleep each night. WebMD also reports that sleep is a bigger risk factor for early death than smoking or high blood pressure.

The bottom line is that getting enough sleep is important to living a healthy and productive life. Unplugging from the ever-connected society and putting off TV time can go a long way toward helping individuals get more sleep.


Delicious Recipe:

A Traditional Christmas Pudding Recipe

Dating back to the 14th century, Christmas pudding is part of the traditional British Christmas meal.

The dish, which has evolved considerably in the last few hundred years, has never managed to get much traction in the U.S. Perhaps it is because the word "pudding" implies to Americans a creamy dish, rather than this delicious dough-like dessert.

Here is one of the hundreds of variations on Christmas pudding.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup self-rising flour
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dried or candied figs, chopped small
• 1/2 cup dried or candied dates, chopped small
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup shredded suet
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• Juice of one lemon
• Rind of one lemon
• 4 tablespoons dark rum
• 1 cup milk

Directions:

• Choose a deep, round ceramic or glass mixing bowl for the pudding basin. This bowl will be steamed in the cooking process.
• Now choose a larger, deep pot. A stock pot will do. Put a trivet into the stock pot. This stock pot will be used to boil the pudding basin, and the basin will be placed on the trivet. Grease the pudding basin.
• In another large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and fruit. Mix well. Add eggs, lemon juice, and rind, rum and milk then mix well.
• Place the mixture in the pudding basin and layer a piece of wax paper or parchment paper over the pudding mixture.
• Next, cover the pudding basin with aluminum foil and tie around the edge tightly to keep any water from getting inside.
• Carefully set the pudding basin on the trivet inside the stock pot. Fill the stock pot with water up to the edge of the pudding basin. Bring stock pot to a boil, covered.
• Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about five hours. The steaming is part of the fun. Your house will be filled with lovely Christmas aromas. No scented candles needed.
• Remove the basin from the stock pot at the end of the cooking time and allow it to cool, after which it can be stored for a couple of days, wrapped in the refrigerator.
• Steam or microwave to reheat before you turn out the pudding for serving.

You can serve it with a sprig of holly to be completely authentic. Or you can add a sweet custard drizzle.


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