According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 8,700 people each year are treated in the emergency room for injuries directly related to the holidays, most of which could have been prevented.

The holidays bring a general hustle and bustle of things to do - shopping, decorating, family get-togethers…so much that we often become careless when it comes to preventing home injuries. "Around the holidays, many people let their guard down for safety when, in fact, they should be even more cautious," warns David Oliver, president and executive director of Lowe's Home Safety Council.

During the holidays, everyone likes to give a hand when preparing the home for guests. As helpful as it might be to have young children pitch in, parents still need to be wary of potential household hazards introduced during the holidays.

When Antonio Smyth, 25, of Columbus, Ohio, was 6 years old, he helped clean the house for holiday visitors. "My job was to clean the hardwood floors. So I sprayed them with furniture polish - I must've used the whole can," Smyth recalls. "Later, I was racing around the house in my heavy wool socks, and the floor was especially slippery. I slipped and slid - right into the Christmas tree. The tree fell on top of me, and the glass ornaments shattered all over the floor. I had a bruised hip from the fall and glass pieces in my hands from trying to clean everything up before my parents noticed."

Injuries like Smyth's are not uncommon. Dr. David Levine of the Cook County Hospital's emergency room in Chicago reports that injuries, especially child-related ones, rise during the holidays. "We tend to see a lot of choking cases around the holidays," says Levine. "Children are enticed by sparkly, glittery ornaments and put them in their mouths. We also see a lot of poisonings to children and animals if they eat poinsettia leaves and holly berries."

The liquid, bubbling lights are another major home safety hazard. "The liquid itself is a harmful chemical, methylene blue, which breaks down in the body like carbon monoxide and causes a delayed reaction of carbon monoxide poisoning," says Levine. "Last year, I treated a young boy who came in looking lethargic and had meningitis-like symptoms. It turned out he had carbon monoxide poisoning because he drank the liquid from the bubbling lights, thinking it was fruit juice."

Children aren't the only ones visiting emergency rooms during the holidays. Adults also can become careless, especially if they begin to overdo the decoration and holiday planning. "We often treat adults with falling injuries - people who climb on tables and improperly use stools or chairs to hang decorations around the house," adds Levine.

Households expecting small children or seniors as guests during the holidays should conduct a full home safety inspection. Remember to check for exposed outlet plugs, unlocked cabinets, tripping, falling and choking hazards, as well as install handrails on all staircases. For a complete home safety checklist, visit loweshomesafety.org.

"No matter which holiday you observe this year, make sure it's a safe one for you, your family, friends and guests," says Oliver.