Safety Tips for Packing Up Holiday Decorations

Regardless of when you decide to pack up your holiday decorations, what goes up must come down – safely!

What goes up, must come down. Before you tackle taking down holiday decorations, check out these tips from Ajsa Nikolic MD, MHA with Ochsner Urgent Care for staying safe and accident free.

Lift Smart

For many people, packing up holiday decorations means putting boxes of ornaments and decorations into storage and hauling the massive tree out of the living room. It is important to use proper lifting techniques when taking down the tree or removing heavy decorations on the gutter or roof.

When lifting heavy objects, protect your body through good postures like these:

• Keep a wide base of support
• Bend at the hips and knees only, keeping your back straight, chest out and shoulders back
• Slowly lift with your hips and knees without twisting or jerking
• Set down your tree or boxes gently, bending at only the knees and hips

Practice Ladder Safety

When using a ladder to remove decorations from higher places outside such as in trees or on a roof line, keep balanced and injury free by taking a few easy precautions:

• Inspect the ladder for damage, reading all labels and markings
• Do not use the top rung of the ladder
• Do not place the ladder on boxes, chairs or any items other than the floor
• Wear slip-resistant shoes with clean soles to maximize traction
• Face the ladder and have two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand in contact with the ladder steps at all times
• Keep focused, climb slowly and avoid sudden movements

“Keep your hands free while climbing by recruiting a family member to serve as an assistant. Pass the decorations down to them one at a time,” said Dr. Nikolic.

Watch for Cuts

Always wear gloves when packing up light bulbs or ornaments that are breakable. Both can cause either minor or deep cuts that could require stitches. It is also advisable to wear closed-toe shoes to avoid stepping on breakable objects.

“Regardless of when you decide to pack up your holiday decorations, it’s important to put safety first. We see a lot of cuts, falls, burns and broken bones from decorating accidents this time of year,” said Dr. Nikolic.

About Ochsner Health System

Ochsner Health is Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, healthcare system. Driven by a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate, coordinated clinical and hospital patient care is provided across the region by Ochsner's 40 owned, managed and affiliated hospitals and specialty hospitals, and more than 100 health centers and urgent care centers. Ochsner is the #1 ranked hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report and is recognized as a “Best Hospital” across two specialty categories caring for patients from all 50 states and more than 70 countries worldwide each year. Ochsner Hospital for Children is the only facility in Louisiana to be recognized as a top 50 children’s hospital by U.S. News & World Report for three consecutive years. Ochsner employs nearly 25,000 employees and over 4,500 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts more than 700 clinical research studies. Ochsner Health is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.