Put safety first in holiday planning

Holiday lights can add a touch of beauty to the holiday season, but improper usage, carelessness or poorly made products can turn a celebration into a tragedy.

About 500 home fires are blamed on Christmas trees and improper lighting each year in the United States, causing 1,300 injuries and about three-dozen deaths nationwide – but there are simple ways to significantly reduce the risks. Damaged or low-quality holiday lights, improper usage and lack of water for fresh trees are among the most common problems.

Electrical safety experts suggest that people take a few minutes each year to inspect their holiday lights and ensure they are working properly before installing them, and that installation is done safely and properly.

LOOK FOR THE UL LABEL

Consumers should check all holiday lights and electrical decorations for the Underwriters Laboratory emblem. In the growing world marketplace, there is a wide variety of quality and standards, many of them low.

A UL emblem on the package and on the product itself ensures that the product meets accepted safety requirements. If the product doesn’t have the UL listing, don’t buy it.  If you already own it, toss it out and buy a new one.

Cords should be checked annually for cracked or broken sockets, frayed insulation and loose connections.  If there is any damage, the cord should be replaced.

In recent years, a new holiday lighting issue has arisen: the widespread use of “icicle lights,” strung around the eaves of houses.  Customers who string the lights right over the service wire to their home can create a risk of shock and fire.

To protect themselves, customers should keep those lights at least 5 feet away from the service wire. The way these and similar lights are hung is also critical.  Consumers should never use tacks, staples, nails or screws to install holiday lighting on eaves or around windows. Metal objects can easily tear the insulation on the cord, causing a potentially deadly shock or starting  a fire. Instead, hang outdoor lights with hooks or string, or wind the cords around porch railings or columns.

SAFETY TIPS

To protect your family, CVPS also offers the following tips:

• Never overload outlets or circuits by plugging numerous strings of lights into one another.  No more than three cords should be connected.
• Cut the end off the tree, immediately water it, and keep it watered every day.  If it runs dry at any time, the bottom will become caked with sap, which will prevent the tree from taking in water.  A dry tree can go up in flames in seconds.
• Keep the tree away from radiators, heating ducts, fireplaces, stoves or direct sunlight, which will dry it out.
• Do not run electrical cords under carpeting or rugs.  Damaged cords could start a fire.
• Be sure lights are designed for the intended use; indoor lights should never be used outside under any circumstances.
• Wrap outdoor cord connections and plugs with plastic wrap and electrical tape to keep rain and snow out.
• Be sure there is a bulb in every socket on strings of lights.  Leaving one socket empty is an invitation for fire.Turn off all holiday lights before you go to bed or leave the house.
• Teach children about the potential dangers of fire, and make sure everyone in the home knows how to get out and where to meet if a fire does occur.