Enjoy the festive break with these seasonal safety tips

As we approach the festive break, our Health and Safety team share this message with some safety tips relevant to both your office and your home for all things Christmas.

Hopefully, we are all now looking forward to the festive period and, for those who can, an extended period of leave over the Christmas break. Whilst this is a time for celebrating, it is also a time to ensure that we all remain safe. This can start with simple steps such as making sure that we switch off any Christmas decorations, lights, or equipment in the office and workplace that do not need to remain over the holiday period. This reduces the risk of fires and means that we do not waste energy.

Colleagues in Digital Services and Content and Communications have asked colleagues not to turn off digital display screens manually - these are managed centrally. 

We know that Christmas might be a struggle for many people this year, as the cost of living crisis starts to bite. Whether or not you’re scaling back your festivities, please take a few minutes to check out the West Midlands Fire Service's seasonal safety tips. This advice covers a range of important areas that we hope you find helpful including; 

• Trees and decorations
• Candles
• Cooking and smoke alarms
• Toys and gadgets
• Driving and road safety 

Read the safety tips. 

From the Health and Safety team: "We hope that you have a happy and safe Christmas break and look forward to seeing you in the New Year."