It may be a good idea to stay in bed today.

“Sorry. Can’t come to work. It’s too dangerous.”

Well, it is according to insurance company Allianz which says this is the most accident prone day of December and is almost twice as dangerous as any other day of the month.

Tim Pitts from Allianz says: “We see a noticeable increase in claims for accidents over the Christmas period from tripping over loose rugs to spilling gravy over the carpet.”

Ah, the old spilling gravy trick! “It’s the time of year when we have a lot on our minds which makes people more accident prone.”

And just wait until Christmas Day and Boxing Day when homes are filled with relatives, alcohol is imbibed without caution and inebriated uncles stab themselves with scissors.

This last is not the result of festive depression but because they can’t find a screwdriver while attempting to unfasten toys that are screwed into packaging.

This may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it is also when ambulance crews, paramedics, the fire brigade and A&E departments gear up to deal with injuries and accidents that should never happen.

Sheila Merrill, home safety manager at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said that every year 1,000 people are injured while fixing stars or decorating the higher branches of their Christmas trees.

Whoops!

More are hurt while decorating their homes, children bite into glass baubles and adults fall off chairs or out of lofts while looking for the decorations. Candles may look festive but they can be a killer. House fires increase at Christmas.

Insurance company Review My Claim says hospitals have reported people turning up with broken arms they got from pulling Christmas crackers, which is not so hard to believe. It nearly happened to me many years ago. She was a real cracker but her boyfriend was a big lad.

On average, 30 people die from food poisoning, people hurt themselves by forgetting to take the pins out of new shirts and it really is best not to test batteries with your tongue.

Alcohol can play a big part in accidents and drinking increases by 41% in the month of December. Which is possibly why more folk fall down stairs, one in 10 burn themselves trying to set fire to the Christmas pudding and why 213 have died since 1996 by watering their Christmas tree while the lights were switched on.

Compared to that catalogue of disaster, spilling gravy seems of minor importance.

Still, it’s best to be forewarned and take care over the next month so that you’re in one piece to welcome in the new year.

And still have a clean carpet.