“We checked every bulb, didn’t we?”

Can you believe that Christmas is just three weeks away?! For many, it’s tradition to decorate for the holidays, pulling boxes out of the attic or basement, picking the right tree, hanging the stockings perfectly on the mantle. Sometimes in our eagerness to trim the house with knick knacks and ornaments, we let safety fall to the wayside. Remember in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when the cat chews through the Christmas lights cord and gets electrocuted? And when Clark can’t get the lights to turn on, so the camera cuts to a shot in the garage with tons and tons of plugs in multiple extension cords? Yikes! Here are a few electrical safety tips to keep in mind while decorating this season.

 

Cat

 

–       Light strings are usually stored away for 8+ months and could easily become faulty, so double check for frayed or damaged wires. These should not be used.

–       Make sure your real Christmas tree is well-watered at all times, if it dries out it could cause a fire. And if you’re using a fake tree, make sure it’s flame resistant.

–       Don’t plug too many strings of lights into one extension cord. You can overload your circuits, causing a fire hazard.

–       Whether hanging lights inside or out, make sure all of the wires and extension cords are protected and secured to avoid such things as tripping over them or weather damage.

–       Using LED lights not only saves on your electricity bill, but they also burn cooler and can prevent fires.

–       If you’re leaving the house or going to bed, make sure all lights are off.

–       While crackling fireplaces and candles are a comfy, cozy way to enjoy the holidays, they are major fire hazards if your decorations come too close, so be conscious of where you place them and don’t leave the flames unattended.

 

 

You can visit www.holidaysafety.org for more tips and information about enjoying an accident-free holiday season.

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