As Super Bowl XLVI is nearly here, and as preparations for game day bashes begin, it’s imperative to think about safety, in addition to snacks. Did you know the average household will bring together more than 17 people-including kids-to watch the Patriots face off against the Giants?
Given the number of residential parties that take place on Super Bowl Sunday, UL (Underwriters Laboratories), the only independent, global safety organization with more than 100 years of expertise, has developed a playbook for the big day to help hosts safely entertain football fans of all ages.
By dividing the home into “safety zones”, households can take precautions to prevent against emergencies common to Super Bowl entertaining, specifically furniture-related tip-overs and home fires. Did you know that nearly 15,000 children visit the ER each year as a result of furniture tip-overs and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that grilling is the cause of more than 8,200 home fires each year? Unlike the big game, there are no instant replays when it comes to playing it safe. Tips on how to prevent party fouls, zone by zone, include:
Living Room
- While UL tests televisions for safety, they also test the wall mounting hardware. Homeowners must mount TVs in accordance with the installation instructions supplied with the product.
- Furniture-mounted TVs may be liable to tip so discourage children from approaching by removing items from the TV top and stand like toys and remote controls that tempt climbing.
- Caution adults to stand back from furniture-mounted TVs when they celebrate touchdowns with celebratory dancing to prevent a tip over!
- Older-model second and third-string TVs (often tube-type) that have been traded to other rooms should be placed on sturdy furniture, set back as far as possible from the stand edge.
Kitchen
- Encourage guests to stay away from the cooking area including stoves, ovens and more.
- Turn pot and pan handles toward the center of the cook top to prevent accidental snagging and hot spills.
- Make sure your appliance cords do not hang over counter top edges to prevent snags and spills.
Grilling Area
- Super Bowl is the biggest grilling day of the winter season and all grilling should take place outdoors only, no exceptions!
- Never grill in your garage or carport.
- Keep a spray bottle of water handy and employ to knock grill flare ups down.
- Whether you are cooking in the backyard or tailgating with friends, always look for the UL Mark on cooking equipment such as grills and slow cookers to ensure the product has been tested for safety.
Last but not least, UL recommends getting down on your hands and knees to view all home zones from a child’s eye level to catch and mitigate any lingering safety hazards from stray cords to sharp edges to small objects that can pose a threat to the smallest guests as the final pre-game safety drill. This is a GREAT tip! I would have never thought to do that. I wish I knew about this idea when my kids were little. I think this is a great tip in general, not just for a Super Bowl party.
If you would like more information or Super Bowl safety tips visit http://www.safetyathome.com/home-safety/home-safety-articles/super-bowl-party-safety-game-plan.
Kimberly
*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this information for the benefit of my site readers. Any opinions expressed are my own.
Getting down on your hands and knees to view hazards from a childs point of view is a great tip!
Ohmygoodess, I never knew a super bowl party could be so dangerous!
xxoxoxo