All set to ring in the Diwali festivities? Although Diwali is the time to enjoy and bond with your family and friends, it is also important to ensure the safety of your loved ones during this festival of light, fire and crackers. And that does not just include being cautious around candles and firecrackers, it also includes many other important aspects such as keeping your home safe from theft, ensuring the comfort of elders, children and animals and also from short circuits and electrocution that may take place during this busy festival. Likewise, it entails leaving the environment a little less polluted to ensure our safety in the long run. Therefore, we are here with 10 Safety Tips for Diwali for you to read through in order to spend a safe and sound and Happy Diwali.
Clothes and Shoes
Who does not want to put on the best outfit they have shopped for dressing up on Diwali? But how often are we stopped from wearing the materials that are easily prone to catching fire? That is why it is important to take care of the material and the type of outfit you are going to buy or wear during the lighting days. Wearing cotton clothes during burning crackers is usually advised to avoid any mishap. Stay away from synthetic materials as they catch fire easily. Do not wear loose and hanging clothes and properly secure them in place. Be extra cautious with dupattas and saree pallus as these might brush against diyaas and candles. Also, do not forget to tie your hair before going out to burn the crackers. You must also keep in mind to wear covered footwear to avoid any feet injury while igniting crackers.
Quality of Crackers
The most common cause of accidents in Diwali is firecrackers. Due to this reason, it is necessary to purchase firecrackers from legal and trusted manufacturers to ensure that the quality of crackers is good. It is recommended to burst the firecrackers only after going through the instructions carefully. Good quality fireworks reduce the risk of a harmful mishap.
While igniting aerial fireworks, make sure that they are not lighted near any open window or door that may cause a fire accident inside the house. Keep away the rest of the crackers that you are not planning to burn right away, in order to avoid any chances of a spark unexpectedly landing on your stock and burning up the entire lot.
Caution the Kids
Kids are always the ones most excited about burning crackers during Diwali. So before taking them out for the crackling fun, make sure you caution them about the fire that they would be handling. Make them aware of the right way to hold and use these firecrackers. Do not ever leave them alone with fire or crackers. Supervising them with the firecrackers at all times is essential for their safety during this frenzy festival. Keep the toddlers away from the loud bursting crackers as it may easily startle and frighten them.
Fire Extinguishers For Safety
Fires can break out at any moment due to a single mistake made on someone’s part. Therefore, it is better to be well prepared in time for the consequences and keep a fire extinguisher at hand. It is one of the most important safety tips for Diwali, to have a fire extinguisher in close proximity to the area where you’re burning crackers. A bucket of water or sand will also be helpful in tackling an unexpected fire. If a fire breaks out, extinguish the flame by pouring water from the buckets in the absence of an extinguisher. Remember, every major fire starts small.
First Aid kit
For the safety of everyone around fireworks, a first aid kit could be really handy during the Diwali season. Just in case somebody has a breathing problem or any minor burn or injury, a first aid kit could be very useful in treating the issue immediately. You also need to have enough ice and cold water stored in your refrigerator well in advance so they could help soothe the burns if caused during this time.
Discard Used Fireworks
Do not throw the used fireworks casually around as someone misfortunate might unknowingly step on them causing a burn or any other accident. Discard the used firecrackers immediately and assemble them at a particular place which can be disposed of later on. Or you can collect them all in a bucket of water or sand in order to put out any remaining fire or heat that could be left after the cracker is done. This is one of the major safety tips to have a safe Diwali.
Candles and Diyas: Safe Diwali
Candles and diyas are the light of Diwali. But keeping candles and diyas lit at home without any precaution can heavily cost you at times. Ensure that there aren’t any curtains or inflammable materials near to them. Avoid lighting diyas or candles near electrical wiring of any type. Keep pets and toddlers away from diyas as they might burn themselves unknowingly.
Safety of Animals
Diwali can be traumatic for animals, as they get extremely confused and scared because of all the noise and fire. Ensuring the safety of animals during Diwali should be our priority as they are voiceless creatures. Keep your pets in that part of the house where it is least affected by the outside noise. Try not leaving your pets alone as they will already be very stressed and might need some comforting. Definitely do not force them near firecrackers if they don’t want to. Ensure that nobody in your family or neighbourhood pranks strays by deliberately exposing them to crackers, rather open your doors to them if an animal seems to be in distress.
Home Safety Tip for Diwali
This is an unusual but important safety tip for Diwali. Although festivals are to be celebrated with the whole community, there are unscrupulous people in our society who would want to take advantage of our busy hours. During the celebrations, ensure that you do not leave your valuables unattended. For burglars, it is easier to get in and out of the house during celebrations who may go unnoticed due to all the people and noise around. Lock all doors and windows before getting out of the house, even if that happens to be for a short time.
Environment Safety Tip for Diwali
Though it is recommended to have a green Diwali and not burst any crackers, if you still want to burn a few, be sensible and keep the decibel level in check. Choose those firecrackers that do not emit much sound and smoke. You may also go for organic crackers that emit less smoke and leave environment friendly residues behind. You can also ensure that the air-borne crackers such as rockets are not caught fire with – bursting them on open space will prevent shrubs and small trees from being burned. Check that your potted plants are kept away from Diwali celebrations and well taken care of from fire.
Lastly, sensitize children about environmental safety as this is crucial for long-term safety of the environment and our habitat.
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Great article.|