The risk for burns increases during the holidays due to the increase presence of open flames, cooking and chemicals in the household. Whether you are at home, at someone else's house or at a business, you could be at risk for burn injuries. Here are three common ways that you could get burned during the holiday season and how to avoid them. 

Open flames:

During the holiday season, people are more likely to burn candles for religious or personal reasons. Fireplaces are another source of open flame during the holidays and cooking sometimes involves a type of open flame, fireplaces and cooking. The National Candle Association has a long list of candle safety tips to help reduce or eliminate candle fires. Other ways to avoid open flame burns is to keep the area around the open flame clear of any materials, including Christmas trees, stockings and paper. Make sure all fires are extinguished before leaving them unattended. If you're dealing with pilot light issues in your stove or furnace, call a professional for advice.  

Cooking burns:

Burns from cooking are frequently caused by heating elements, hot food, scalding water, cooking pots and hot utensils. The best way to prevent these burn injuries this way is to supervise your cooking and wear mitts or gloves when handling hot dishes. Be sure to turn handles or move anything else that can be snagged on the clothing of someone passing by. Do not allow food to boil over on the stove or in the oven, especially if you're frying with oil. Deep-fry turkeys and other large birds outside the house in the open.

Electrical and chemical burns:

The holidays often involve lots of lights, electronics and cleaning solvents. Taking basic precautions, such as not handling plugs with wet hands or using frayed wiring, should reduce the chance of injuries. Keep batteries and electronic items away from open flames and remove and dispose of spent batteries promptly before they corrode and leak. If you're like many people, you're probably doing a lot of cleaning to get ready for guests. Wear gloves and other protectants and keep children away if you are using strong solvents.

Taking precautions is the best way to prevent injuries to yourself and your guests during the holiday season. Despite precautions, accidents can happen. If you are injured by someone else's carelessness and you think you should be compensated, contact a personal injury lawyer (such as one from Greg S. Memovich) to discuss your case.