If you are hosting Thanksgiving this year, there are so many fun things to prepare and think about – decorations, recipes, music playlists, cocktails, the list goes on and on. But preparing your house for a safe Thanksgiving is just as important. Below are some safety precautions to keep in mind so that everyone has a safe and enjoyable evening with the people they love. 

Check the Weather 

November can bring many types of weather depending on where in the country you are celebrating. Checking the weather forecast to see if any storms or snow are headed towards your area can help your guests better prepare. 

If there is snow headed your way, guests can prepare by: 

  • Leaving their house earlier, allowing extra time for travel
  • Outfitting their car with snow chains if needed 
  • Driving defensively, and being on the lookout for cars losing control 

Encourage Safe Driving Practices 

Alcoholic beverages often accompany holiday celebrations such as Thanksgiving. As the host, be sure that anyone that has had multiple beverages does not get behind the wheel of a car. Holidays are notoriously filled with drinking and driving accidents, and increased police presence to help prevent such tragedies.  

Not only can driving drunk lead to fatalities, but a DUI charge can significantly alter your daily life. The DUI attorneys at McAdams Law Office know that even the first DUI charge can lead to license suspension and other harsh consequences. 

If you have a spare guest room and can insist that inebriated guests sleep there for the night, this will help prevent drunk driving incidents. 

Cook Food Properly 

Food borne illnesses are easier to contract than many people think. With all of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes being cooked simultaneously, sometimes turkey or other meat is not brought up to temperature or stored properly. 

Illnesses like salmonella, e coli, and Giardia can result in hospitalization and even death. By purchasing a meat thermometer and carefully keeping all food properly heated or cooled correctly, you can help prevent food borne illnesses. 

Childproof Your House

With holidays comes an influx of new people into your home. If children are going to be guests in your home, be sure to take a minute to childproof potential dangers. This process can include: 

  • Putting lighters and flammable materials out of reach 
  • Childproofing medicine cabinets, if a child ingests an unknown medication and has a severe reaction, doctors may have issues with proper diagnosis and treatment of the symptoms. 

We hope that this article gave you some ideas for keeping your guests safer this holiday season. The team here at Safer America hopes you have a fun and safe holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving!