Decorating Disasters on the Rise

I don't really put up a lot of outside lights anymore, but back when I did, my neighbors could all tell Christmas was on the way when they would hear a mix of hammering and expletives coming from my house.

On summer, I was repairing a gutter complete with the hammering and swearing and my neighbor walked out and said, 'Is it Christmas time again?'

Here are the facts and figures on Christmas Decoration Injuries:

If you are the one that does the outside decorating, maybe you can use these stats to get out of the job...I doubt it...But maybe

Every single sitcom in history that's featured someone hanging Christmas lights has had a HI-LARIOUS twist where the person falls off the roof and winds up in the hospital.  So be careful this year . . . don't end up a cliché.

According to a new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, last year, more than 15,000 people went to the emergency room due to Christmas decorating injuries.

One out of three were from FALLS . . . 11% were from cuts . . . and 10% were from people throwing out their backs.

Christmas injury totals have been going up every year since 2009, when about 12,000 people were hospitalized.

The CPSC also says there are an average of 200 Christmas tree fires a year.  Over the past three years, those fires have resulted in TEN DEATHS.

So, while all the mishaps may be funny when they happen in the movies, be extra careful when doing the decorating chores. We don't want to put up a story about how you got hurt.