Fire safety protocols to keep in mind when holiday decorating
Decorating the interior and ex terior of a home is a beloved holi day season tradition in millions of households. Such decor makes it easy to dive into the festive nature of the season.
Many people could not imagine a holiday season without decorat ing their homes, and it’s vital that celebrants do so safely. Fire safety is especially important during a time of year when string lights and potentially dried out trees feature so prominently. These fire safety tips can ensure this holiday season is safe.
%uy the safest lights. ,t might be tempting to buy the most inex pensive lights, especially given all the extra costs already associated with the holiday season. However, safety should be the utmost priority when buying new lights. Testing laboratories such as CSA, ,ntertek and UL certify products to ensure theyõre safe for use. 3roducts that arenõt certified should be avoided.
* Use lights and cords where they’re intended to be used. The packaging on lights will indicate if the product is intended to be used indoors or outdoors. ,t’s vital that individuals decorating their homes with lights pay attention to these labels. Never decorate the exterior of a home with interior lights, and vice versa. Extension cords made for indoors also should not be used outdoors and vice versa.
* %e especially careful with candles. Candles should only be burned when adults are in the room and should always be extinguished before leaving the room or going to bed. When burning candles, place them on heat resistant surfaces that are beyond the reach of curious kids and pets. Never place candles within armõs length of Christmas trees or houseplants, including poinsettias.
* Ask an electrician to inspect your exterior outlets and circuits. *round fault circuit interruptor *FC, outlets are designed to pre vent electric shocks and reduce the risk of electrical fires. Most areas now require new homes be built exclusively with *FC,S, which are recognizable because they fea ture two buttons between the out lets. %ut older homes may not be equipped with *FC,S, particularly with exterior outlets. *FC, instal lation is not an especially expen sive job, so homeowners should ask an electrician to inspect their interior and exterior outlets and re place non *FC,S with *FC,S.
* Do not pinch light cords. Stringing lights can be a hassle, but cords should never be pinched in doors or windows or beneath inte rior and exterior furniture. Doing so increases the risk of damage to the cord, which in turn increases the likelihood of fire.
* Avoid overloading circuits. Overloaded circuits pose a signifi cant fire hazard. When plugging in lights, choose outlets that aren’t already occupied by devices and other electronics. ,f need be, un plug appliances like televisions and devices while lights are on and plugged in.
When decorating this holiday season, celebrants are urged to do everything they can to reduce the risk of fire in their homes.