Take precautions to keep yourself and others safe this holiday season.
Stay healthy
Stay up-to-date on COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, and take a COVID-19 test if you have symptoms.
Stay home and away from others if you are sick and follow the UW Public Health Flowchart for COVID-19 and Respiratory Symptoms.
Decorate safely
Prevent falls and fires by taking these precautions:
- Keep your tree at least 3 feet from heat sources.
- Use flameless candles.
- Replace light sets that have broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections
- Turn off all lights and decorations when you leave for the day, or at home before you go to bed or leave the house.
- Don’t overload (or daisy chain) extension cords.
- When putting up decorations, use a step stool or ladder to reach high places.
- If you put up a tree, select an artificial tree that is fire resistant. If using a live tree, keep it well-watered.
Prevent cooking fires
Kitchen fires are often started by cooking with oil or grease and leaving cooking food unattended. Take these steps to prevent fires while cooking:
- Keep an eye on what you fry! Never leave oil or grease cooking unattended.
- If a cooking fire occurs, smother the fire and turn off the heat source.
- Never pour water on an oil or grease fire.
- If the fire is inside the oven, keep the door closed until it’s cool.
- Move things that can catch fire (e.g., dishtowels, bags, boxes, and paper) away from the cooking surface.
- Turn the handles of pots and pans toward the back of the stove so they can’t be easily knocked off or pulled over.
- Test your smoke detectors; replace the batteries annually.
- Make sure your fire extinguisher is nearby in case of an emergency.
Be sure to handle food safely to avoid food poisoning when preparing holiday meals.
Travel safely
Prepare your car for winter and keep an emergency kit with you.
Designate a sober driver before leaving home, and don’t be distracted by your cellphone while driving.
Walk safely
Take precautions to prevent slips, trips and falls while walking on UW campuses in wet and icy weather.
Visit the UW Alert Blog and Snow Removal Progress Map (as appropriate) to check conditions before arriving on the Seattle campus.
