On military bases everywhere, every Friday, Servicemembers are held against their will. That’s probably a bit extreme, but they aren’t allowed to go home and be released from work until they receive their safety brief. Some of you are unfortunately familiar with this type of safety brief, and for that, I thank you for your service. Others might not be, so please allow me to enlighten you. At the beginning of every weekend, leadership makes a point to remind service members of the things that they definitely shouldn’t—but inevitably someone will—do during the coming weekend. In the beginning, this often sounds something like, “Don't drink and drive, don't drink and boat.” Towards the end, an unspecified number of minutes later, it sounds more like, “Don’t fry bacon naked, don’t put bags over the smoke alarms.” It is a widely held notion that service members must be told explicitly what not to do, because yes, somewhere, someone really did these things. It is in that spirit that I hope to address some of the potential hazards that could befall your most wonderful time of the year.
The holiday season holds some of the largest spikes in many common accidents. ‘Tis the season to be busy. Because we have more going on, it can lead to us being more distracted and complacent. That is arguably a large part of why most accidents happen in the first place. We are often doing things we only do once a year. Decorations that only go up once a year or cooking food we only cook during the holiday season. Staying proficient in things that are only practiced once a year is difficult. Here is a list of three of the most common holiday-related accidents I’m here to warn you about: 1) Decking the halls can lead to falls. 2) Cooking holiday dishes can lead to cuts and burns. 3) Eating new holiday dishes can result in food poisoning, choking, or unsuspecting allergies. Just as Soldiers are likely to still engage in the things they were just warned about, I know I can only expect so much. I am only partially here to warn you. Mostly I will try to offer some advice for when some of you inevitably don't listen and find yourselves practicing some real-time resilience.
We should probably begin with “decking the halls” for anyone with a short attention span. Approximately 160 decorating injuries happen each day just in the U.S. during the holiday season. These are just the ones that we know about where someone likely hurt more than their pride. Falls greater than 3x your height are considered a significant mechanism of injury by EMS professionals, so if you are above roughly fifteen feet you are flirting with a fracture. It’s not just high falls though that is common or dangerous. Falling down unfamiliar and dark stairs is also a hazard. “Ground level” falls can still lead to fractures, pulled muscles, concussions, and—if we are to believe the patients who come to the emergency room with them—foreign bodies in the rectum. An obvious deformity is a good indicator of a fracture. Bleeding associated with a break is another red flag to quickly call for help. If the signs are less obvious, a true inability to bear weight means some medical imaging is a good idea. If you lost consciousness during your gravity ride, that is another good indicator you’ll want some pictures of your insides. Physical and mental rest is extremely important after a jingle to your bell. Avoid doing tasks that are cognitively taxing and change plans towards a much more silent night.
Cooking brings a smorgasbord of holiday accidents. The seasonal, and inexperienced chefs are all susceptible to a crowded kitchen and the hazards it brings. Cuts are common holiday accidents but more specifically what to be wary of are lacerations. Too much force behind dull knives or slips in a crowded kitchen is a trajectory headed for hemorrhaging. Taking care of equipment is vital, so if you accidentally attempt to self-amputate a digit, remember that pressure and elevation are the immediate actions upon realization. Pressure and elevation will buy you some time to retrieve additional resources you may need to dress the injury without losing too much blood ideally. Either way, all bleeding stops eventually if you get my point. Keep the super glue in the drawer, if it looks like it needs sutures, it probably does.
Many who are trying new recipes or trying cooking as a new hobby may decide to douse a grease fire with water. First, a productive alternative to water for a grease fire would be baking soda. If the fire is too big for that, covering it with a metal lid and turning off the heat source is the recommended maneuver. If you seared some flesh battling the blaze, immerse the area in cool, not cold, water. Remove any jewelry you don't want to be cut off that could become trapped due to swelling. Cover loosely with a dry sterile gauze that is not fluffy cotton. Resist the temptation to pop any blisters that may have formed. Using antibacterial ointment can be helpful provided it doesn’t cause a rash. Over-the-counter pain medication like Tylenol is a good go-to. Remember the best medicine is preventative medicine. Unproductive people in the kitchen tend to create a higher probability that you will receive partial thickness burns to exposed skin, especially if you are someone who likes to cook bacon naked. Reminding those in your home to give the kitchen space will help prevent anyone from being doused in savory or sweet napalm.
Along that same vein, check your smoke alarms for proper function. Neglecting Christmas trees and leaving heat-producing lights on constantly can quickly set your home ablaze. So can using old electrical appliances, water around nonGFCI outlets, space heaters, or seeing how many volts you can connect to one outlet. If you do happen to wake up and find your belongings roasting on an open fire, refer to your fire evacuation plan you rehearse regularly. If you want to learn more about how to prepare your home and loved ones for a fire so your holiday season doesn't go up in flames, sign up to get our Fire Safety Plan PDF emailed to you!
Roughly 48 million people a year get sick from foodborne diseases. Don’t worry, the odds are that you won't be one of the 3,000 for whom it is their last meal. Still, food poisoning can lead you to be fighting a battle on two fronts. Make sure you are hydrating with plenty of water. You are fighting a war of attrition and you’ll need constant reinforcements. “B.R.A.T.” Stand for bananas, rice, apples, and toast. This diet and other bland foods will be your ally in your fight against terrorism.
Choking will also be on the rise throughout the holiday season. There will always be that person so excited to eat they do not chew all their food before they swallow. Let’s go over a few things you can do if you or someone else is choking. First, it is important not to panic. If it helps, you have minutes before there is permanent brain damage. If you can hear noises that generally means there is an air exchange, even if it's not an ideal one. Encourage the person to cough and try to dislodge the obstruction. The choking individual can bend at the waist and receive five forceful slaps with the heel of your hand between the shoulder blades for assistance and encouragement. If the back blows do not remove the object, abdominal thrusts (also known as a maneuver that begins with the letter “H”) can also be used. After five back slaps and abdominal thrusts, if the person is still choking, it is a good idea to call for assistance and get them en route. This is especially the case if they go unconscious. If you are enjoying your food too quickly all by yourself and begin choking, using a chair, table or other solid objects for abdominal thrusts is your best chance.
There is also an important choking hazard to mention for special populations. Infants and the elderly have much in common and may not have the teeth they need to chew their food so they should not be left unattended. For the younger group, small toys pose a significant risk. Some items are small and poisonous, and just in case your child could have the idea to play “chubby bunny” with a bunch of lithium button batteries, pay close attention to what items are left where. Having the number for poison control accessible is always a good idea, but even more so when many different people and items may enter your home.
Your food allergies should be anything but classified. Unless you are dining with an enemy. Most people though will just be sampling unfamiliar dishes or eating familiar dishes in unfamiliar places when they are ambushed by their allergen. Carry the firepower you know that you need to combat an attack. Some of you will need Benadryl and others will need an Epi-pen. Just don’t go to dinner unarmed. If you do, make sure someone, who preferably has not been drinking, has a good guess as to why you could be turning red and gasping for air.
These are only a few of the ways in which your holidays can accidentally become not-so-happy. The biggest thing to remember is to not be complacent. Complacency is the enemy that ambushes us all. Staying alert is what keeps you alive. All of these accidents are far more likely to occur as soon as alcohol is involved, especially those born out of neglect. Some great pieces of advice I took to heart as a young soldier was to not do anything I didn’t want to explain to a doctor, a lawyer, or a police officer. Best of all though was, “If you are going to be stupid, don’t be dumb.” Make good plans and mitigate risk to the best of your ability. If I made a joke or light of a situation you did not find funny, I apologize. Dark humor is like food, not everyone gets it. I truly hope you have a safe and enjoyable season with the people you love most. Happy Holidays!