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Christmas Hand Safety

Many Americans visit the Emergency Room each holiday season with injuries resulting from opening a difficult package. For example, puncture wounds from opening those stubborn plastic clamshell containers used to package children’s toys. So here are a few tips to keep your hands safe during the holiday season and prevent unwanted visits to the Emergency Room.

Christmas Package Opening Safety:

Whether those packages were created to prevent theft or protect the contents of the package during shipping they are very difficult to open and can lead to a new term coined “wrap rage”, follow the tips below to keep your Christmas joyful and emergency room free:

• Use a flat well-lit area to open packages
• Check the package for a slit or opening on the back or tabs that may pull apart
• Use a manual rotary can opener to cut one side of the plastic container
• DO NOT USE box cutters or scissors
• Invest in a Plastic Package opener similar to a pair of garden shears (also called 'clamshell package opener')
• Do not rush and do not get distracted

It's also a great time to review our Thanksgiving Hand Safety tips as there's lots of carving and cutting at Christmas too!

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday season!

- TOA Hand Center Specialists