Christmas Safety Tips for Santa Claus
As the holiday season approaches, Santa Claus and his elves are busying themselves preparing for Christmas Eve. Between all the present wrapping, route planning, and checking the Naughty and Nice lists, Kris Kringle also has to set aside time to go over a safety check list to avoid personal injury. When your job involves a lot of walking on snowy rooftops and night flying, it’s always a good idea to take extra precautions.
- Perform safety check on sleigh to ensure all parts are in working order
- Ensure footwear has proper traction and can keep feet dry on rooftops
- Always check for a fire before descending the chimney
- Feed and properly groom reindeer before departure
- No texting and flying
- Limit cookie intake at each house to prevent sugar rush and subsequent crash
- Avoid warm milk to stay alert
- Wear proper eye protection to avoid snow blindness
- Keep hands and feet dry and warm to avoid frostbite
- Charge GPS battery before leaving the North Pole
- Ensure all gifts are properly wrapped and no products are recalled
- Pack dog treats to distract disgruntled pets
- No drinking and flying (especially eggnog)
- Polish Rudolph’s nose for maximum illumination
- Avoid planes, helicopters, etc. by flying as low as possible and staying away from airports
- If rooftop appears icy or otherwise hazardous, seek alternate landing area
- Ensure hat fits well to avoid obstructed vision
- Stay hydrated
- Check in with Mrs. Claus and/or elves to update them on progress
- Install a useful weather app to wireless device to stay abreast of precipitation, storms, etc.
- Keep both hands on the reins
- Do not leave gifts in doorways or stairwells to protect children from injury
- Do not allow reindeer to graze on poinsettias, holly, mistletoe, etc. as they can be poisonous to animals
- Keep all warm beverages in a tightly sealed thermos to avoid spills/burns
- In the event of a snow storm, land sleigh somewhere safe and wait until the weather clears
- Upon take –off and landing, ensure runway is clear of elves, reindeer, and anthropomorphic snowmen
Tell the kids not to fret over Father Christmas’s safety. This year, he’s well-prepared to take to the skies and deliver mountains of gifts to all the good little boys and girls around the world. Even though Santa could certainly afford a personal injury attorney, we’re sure he would prefer to spend his off-season healthy and happy.
