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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
