Holiday Risk Watch List

The holidays are approaching, bringing exciting moments of shopping, decorations, and determining the perfect recipes for every party. As we prepare for the festivities ahead, Berkley One Property Claims Supervisor Dave Morrison shares ways we can ready ourselves for the property risks around this time of year, too. From kitchen safety to thoughtful entertaining, read on for tips to help ensure a season that is safe, smooth, and celebratory.

Deep Frying Turkeys

Deep frying turkeys has become a more popular cooking method in recent years, thanks to quicker cooking time and crowd-pleasing results (plus, more room in the oven for everything else on the menu). But for those employing this approach, it’s imperative to take several precautions—including ensuring that the turkey is fully defrosted, and that the frying takes place far enough away from the house.

“If the turkey isn’t completely defrosted when it’s dropped in the grease, it can explode—problematic in and of itself, and more troubling when the frying is taking place inside of a garage or within a few yards of the house,”

says Morrison, who also mentions the importance of keeping an eye on grease levels. “If there is too much oil in the pot, that hot grease can quickly become a fire hazard.” Be sure to measure the grease so that it won’t overflow when a turkey is submerged, and to give yourself plenty of extra time to prep the meal, ensuring distance from the property and a fully defrosted turkey.

Trees and Lights

Morrison reminds us about the importance of caring for any live tree in the house, ensuring it gets ample and consistent water throughout its duration indoors. “The dryer a tree gets, the more of a fire hazard it becomes,” he says. For homeowners leaving town for a few days, Morrison encourages putting extra water in the tree and unplugging tree lights before travel. And even when home, Morrison suggests keeping an eye on your lights set-up, taking care to not pile on the electricity. “If all of your lights are plugged into just one socket that is not surge protected, it can become hazardous,” he says. Morrison suggests that homeowners apply this same attention to outdoor lights, too.

“Those planning to decorate their homes should look for lights specifically made for outdoor use. They should also try to inspect the lights a few times across the duration of the season,” he says. “Rodents like to bite through lighting to expose wires that can then become fire hazards.”

Holiday Travel

Package theft can happen throughout the year, but it is particularly high around the holidays—especially for a home receiving many packages while homeowners are away. For those planning travel this season, Morrison suggests rerouting deliveries to a secure drop-off location, installing a visible security camera, or asking a neighbor to keep an eye on deliveries. Travelers are also encouraged to winterize the home before holiday travel, maintaining modest and stable temperatures within the home. “Be sure to leave the heat on at a reasonable, low temperature to prevent frozen pipes,” says Morrison.

Managing Guest Traffic

With a growing number of gatherings around the holidays, Morrison says it’s more important than ever to prepare the home accordingly for guest safety. “More guests in the home naturally increase the risk of liability claims, whether from slips, falls, or pet-related incidents,” he explains. To help prevent accidents, ensure walkways and driveways are clear and salted, avoid slick floors or steps inside, and keep pets supervised when visitors are present.

“You may be familiar with that extra step on your sidewalk because you encounter it daily but be sure to point it out to anyone unfamiliar with your home,” Morrison adds.

The same principle applies to pets in the home, taking into consideration how your pet interacts with guests of all ages, and if they are tolerant of busy environments. Helping to guide guests to easy, designated parking spots also helps to mitigate any potential damage to other properties on your block, thereby caring for your neighbors alongside your family and friends.

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