Think safety when working with exterior holiday decorations

With the holidays upon us again, you’re probably ready to channel your inner Clark Griswold and break out the lights and decorations. And while most of today’s exterior lighting is safe and easy to work with, you still need to follow a few common-sense safety precautions.

When selecting lights, extension cords or outside decorations, check the packaging or read the instructions carefully. Be sure the manufacturer has approved the item for use in exterior locations. If an item says that it’s for indoor use only,

even temporarily. Also, some items are labeled for exterior use, but

In other words, you can use them outdoors, but only if they’re protected, such as under the eaves or under a patio cover, so don’t place them where they’ll be directly exposed to rain or snow.

Speaking of labels, always look for lights, cords and decorations that carry the Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) stamp of approval, which indicates that the product has been rigorously tested and is safe when used as advertised.

Inspect bulbs, sockets, light cords and extension cords for nicks, cuts, broken insulation or exposed wires prior to hanging. Discard damaged lights and cords.

LED (lightemitting diodes) exterior lights use less energy and generate less heat than traditional bulbs, so they’re a good alternative. Newer sets have gotten brighter and less expensive in recent years. If you have an extension cord or a decoration with a three-prong plug, that means it’s intended to be plugged into a grounded outlet, so don’t try and defeat it! Never try to force a three-prong male plug into a two-prong cord or outlet. Don’t use any cord if the grounding leg has been removed or damaged. To properly adapt a three-prong cord to a two-prong outlet, use a ULapproved adapter plug with an attached ground wire. Be sure that the ground wire is connected to a proper ground source, such as a cold water pipe or a grounding rod driven into the ground.

Most of today’s exterior light sets use a male plug with a tiny fuse inside, located in the plug behind a small hinged or sliding cover. If a fuse burns out, replacements are included with the light set, or may be purchased where you bought the lights. Don’t attempt to bypass the fuse with a wire or a piece of metal, and if the fuse burns out repeatedly, discard the set of lights.

For safety and convenience, buy some hooks for hanging exterior lights and decorations, rather than nailing or stapling them up. Staples can easily damage the insulation jacket on the outside of the wire and create corrosion in the wire or a short circuit against the staple.

If you’re using outdoor spotlights, use an approved lamp holder to hold the bulb. Most types have a gasket for sealing the bulb in the socket, and some types have a metal or plastic spike attached to simplify staking the light securely to the ground. When connecting two or more strings of lights together, wrap a strip of electrical tape around the plug connections. This prevents the strings from being disconnected, and also protects the connection from the elements. You should also tape the unused female plug at the end of the light run.

You can save some energy and have the added bonus of safe and convenient operation of exterior lights and decorations by adding a timer. Some timers operate on a time dial, turning the lights on and off at preselected times of the day. Other light control timers operate on a photocell, which turns the lights on when the photocell senses that it’s dark enough outside. A switch on the photocell allows you to select dusk to dawn operation, or intervals ranging from two to eight hours before the lights shut off. Whatever style you choose, be sure it’s rated for exterior use.

If you have exterior inflatable decorations, be careful about putting them on timers. The timer will shut the blower motor and cause the decoration to deflate, where it can drape across the ground and become frozen in place. Then when the timer reactivates the blower, the motor can burn out if the frozen inflatable can’t dislodge and re-inflate.

Finally, be careful on your ladders. Set ladders up on solid ground – not on snow or ice. Don’t over reach; move the ladder instead. Take note of the ladder’s maximum weight rating, and be sure you don’t exceed it.