As Chanukah approaches, here are some important safety tips to ensure you have a happy and safe Chanukah:
When lighting the Menorah:
• Never leave Chanukah candles unattended and never go to sleep while Chanukah candles are burning
• Place the menorah on a sturdy heat resistant surface away from anything that can catch fire including walls, curtains, cabinets, wooden and plastic tables, tablecloths, etc
• Light candles out of children’s reach and where they cannot be knocked over!
• Keep surfaces and surrounding areas clear from burned matches, wick trimmings, oil residue, and other debris
• Never light “school project” menorahs made from flammable materials (wood, plastic, paper, etc.)
When cooking Latkes:
• Keep small children away from hot oil and cooking areas
• Keep pot handles turned inward and away from the edge of the stove
• Use extra caution when carrying hot food around children
• Designate ovens, stoves and heat containing appliances as NO GO ZONES for children
• Keep hands, hair and sleeves away from open flame
• Never put water on a grease fire, use a fire extinguisher and call the Fire Dept. emergency number
• Treat burns immediately by cooling with cool water (not cold) and call your local emergency response number
Always remember:
• Supervise children at all times, especially around lit candles, flames, and hot appliances
• Have working smoke detectors
• Have/ and practice a family fire emergency escape plan with a designated family meeting area outside of house
• Proper fire safety planning and prevention can help keep you and your family safe
(Brought to you by Maccabee Aish, Inc. / Jewishfireprevention.org)
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4 Responses
As far as leaving candles unattended, what is a man who lives alone supposed to do when he goes to shul Friday night?
There is nothing wrong with leaving them alone, if they’re in a safe place where nothing can possibly happen to them. So if you have to go out, make sure to light in such a place, and/or use lights that are stable and can’t tip over. In other words if you’re using candles, don’t use tall and thin ones, but short and fat ones, e.g. tea lights or yortzeit lamps. And make sure the surface they’re on is not flammable, and there are no curtains, etc that could possibly overheat and catch fire. This is especially important if you’re lighting in a window; make sure the curtain, blind, or whatever is well out of the way.
Yanky, then you prob have this problem every friday night of the year.
to yankee55, that is a good question, and its good you asked it now, readers have a whole week to find an answer for you. I would suggest, since its friday night, try to go away to a family member for shabbos chnukkah like everyone else does and you wont have that problem.