Dignity Health Nurse Providing Safety Tips For Decorating This Holiday Season

Tips For Safely Adding Some Holiday Cheer to Your House

HENDERSON, Nev. (Dec. 3, 2025) – Finding just the right place to hang ornaments or lights might seem like a harmless holiday tradition. But as one nurse at Dignity Health Medical Group warns, there is a significant risk of physical injury if the proper precautions aren’t taken.

“It’s often small mistakes that lead to falls,“ explains Crystal Martinez, an APRN specializing in adult primary care at Dignity Health Medical Group in Las Vegas. “A little prevention goes a long way toward ensuring you can spend the holidays with loved ones and not in the emergency room.”

First off, it’s important to give any of your equipment a quick once-over to make sure everything is in good working condition. This includes making sure your ladders don’t have any broken rungs or cracks or loose screws and bolts. Make sure the area you’re working in is well-lit and that your ladder or stepladder is on an even surface. 

Clearing out your workspace is key as well. If you are indoors, that can mean putting any rugs, furniture, or other objects out of the way. Keep pets or small children out of  the area as well, so they don’t bump into your ladder and you don’t trip over them. Run extension cords under rugs or furniture, or secure them against baseboards to reduce tripping hazards.

Avoid overreaching, as this is often the main reason people fall off of ladders. Instead climb down, move the ladder, and climb back up to continue hanging decorations. When climbing up or down, keep three points of  contact on the ladder at all times (i.e.both hands and one foot or both feet and one hand). Having someone hold the ladder steady while you climb it can also decrease your chances of falling. Whether inside or outside, it’s never a good idea to stand on household objects such as  chairs, shelves, tables, boxes, etc. as they are not designed for climbing and therefore, not as stable. 

“Usually falls happen when people try to cut corners, which is why we advise you to take your time and go slow,” says Martinez.

The most recent data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) shows during the 2023 holiday season (Nov. 1,  2022 - Jan. 31, 2023) approximately 14,900 people were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments due to holiday decorating-related injuries. CPSC estimates that number breaks down to about 160 injuries a day and nearly 50 percent of those are attributed to falls.

If you are working outdoors, a good rule of thumb is to keep the top of the ladder extended three feet above the roof or surface you are trying to hang decorations from. Avoid decorating outside during storms (i.e. windy, rainy, or snowy conditions) and try to schedule your tasks during the daytime, when you have plenty of daylight to work with.

Unfortunately, falls can still happen even with the best of precautions. Having one other person decorating with you can be a great way to make sure you both stay safe and, in the event of a fall, get the help you need as soon as possible. 

Martinez also recommends being mindful of the medications you are taking, especially if they impact your balance or alertness, and to avoid drinking alcohol while decorating.

“It can be tempting to indulge, especially if among family and friends, but it’s better to keep your senses sharp,” Martinez adds. “One moment of poor judgement can equal months, years, or even a lifetime of complications from a fall.”

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