Holiday Crafts

Safe Holiday Lights

By editor ⋅ October 5, 2009 ⋅ Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

I have a fear of house fires. When my husband and I bought our first home, an incorrectly installed wood stove caused a chimney fire that spread to the wooden frame of the house. Had my baby daughter not awakened me, we would all have died. As it was, one wall of the house was destroyed - and the heroic fire fighters that came that night told us how lucky we were to survive.

Some years later, a neighbour’s house burned to the ground. That fire began when a curtain, in the open kitchen window, fluttered against a tea light candle left burning on the countertop. The family got out, but all were treated for smoke inhalation and, sadly, the family cat died in the fire.

Please keep your family safe this winter season; if you burn candles, never leave them burning unattended and check out these Candle Safety Tips.

Test your fire alarms (if you alter your clocks for daylight savings time, make it a habit to also check your fire alarms at the same time, every spring and fall.)

Discuss fire prevention and practice a fire escape plan with your family.

If you use holiday lights or illuminated yard decorations, you may also find the following holiday lighting tips from CSA International quite useful.

Holiday lights – illuminating the safe holiday way

(NC)—House fires and similar domestic disasters are all-too-common during the holidays. The causes vary, and they can range from indoor hazards to outdoor accidents. For example, a tree decorated with worn or damaged holiday lights can be a serious shock or fire risk.

CSA International wants to help Canadians keep the festive season safe by reminding them of the following lighting tips this season:

• Out with the old: Carefully inspect holiday light strings each year and discard any with frayed cords, cracked lamp holders or loose connections.

• Size them up: Unplug light strings before replacing bulbs and check to ensure replacement bulbs match the voltage and wattage of the original. Make certain that bulb reflectors are the correct size for the light string.

• Out when about: Always turn off holiday lights when you leave the house unattended or as quiet as a mouse. At the office, ensure that decorative lights are turned off after business hours. Use an outdoor timer certified by CSA International or another recognized organization to switch lights on and off automatically. Keep lights off until after 7 p.m. to avoid peak electricity times.

• Look for the label: When purchasing light strings, extension cords and electrical decorations, look for the CSA International certification mark, which provides assurance that the products comply with applicable standards for safety and performance. Also, ensure that outdoor light strings, cords, spotlights and floodlights are certified by CSA International and marked for outdoor use.

• Don’t be tacky: Never hang decorations from fire sprinklers, or allow them to obstruct exit corridors or exit signs, fire extinguishers and hose cabinets. Never tack or staple lighting strings or extension cords to a wall or cubicle. When hanging lights outdoors, keep electrical connectors above ground, out of puddles and snow, and away from metal eavestroughs. Use insulated fasteners rather than metal nails or tacks to hold light strings in place.

• That’s a wrap: After the holidays, wrap and store lights and decorations in the original packaging, as it likely contains a manufacturer’s instructions on replacement bulbs and details for proper product use. Remove outdoor lights promptly after the holiday season to avoid damage caused by extended exposure to harsh weather conditions.

• Candle concerns: Do not use open flames or candles on or near flammable materials such as wreaths, trees or paper decorations.

• Don’t get juiced: Before working with outdoor wiring, turn off the electricity to the supply outlet and unplug the connection.

• Pardon the interruption: Whenever possible, connect all outdoor lighting into receptacles protected by weatherproof ground fault circuit interrupters. These can provide protection from electric shock by sensing ground leakage and cutting electrical power.

www.newscanada.com