Don't Let Fairy Lights Become
Scary Lights This Christmas
Make sure your festive illuminations are safe this year
A third of people in the UK will endanger themselves this year by leaving Christmas lights on when they leave the house or go to bed. And as the trend for 'blinging up' houses with lots of outdoor lighting grows, people who fail to check on the suitability of lighting for outdoor use are also at risk.
According to research by the Electrical Safety Council, 28% of people leave indoor lights on when out or in bed, and 31% leave outdoor lights on creating an overheating hazard. Also, if lighting is damaged, faulty or badly connected, it could cause serious injury through electric shock.
To ensure Christmas passes safely in even the blingiest household, the ESC has issued safety advice for those planning on doing a Blackpool pier on their homes and more modest folk alike.
Phil Buckle, Director of Charitable Affairs at the ESC explains: "Many people enjoy cheering up the outside of their homes with festive lights in the run up to Christmas but using electricity outdoors carries increased risks because of the damp conditions. We want to encourage people to make some basic safety checks before putting up their decorations this year to make sure they have a safe and happy festive season."
And to help you out, here are the ESC's essential safety do's and don'ts:
DO
- Check that your Christmas lights are not damaged or broken before use and look out for loose wires.
- Ensure all outdoor lights are connected via a 30mA RCD protected socket indoors. An RCD will provide added protection against electric shock.
- Replace failed bulbs as soon as possible to prevent overheating.
- Use only replacement bulbs of the same type and rating as those originally supplied with the lights.
- Switch Christmas lights off and unplug them before you go out or go to bed.
DON'T
- Use lights outdoors unless specifically designed for such use.
- Connect different sets of lights together.
- Remove or change bulbs while the chain is connected to the electricity supply.
- Overload sockets and try to avoid the use of extension leads or adaptors.
- Use or attempt to repair lights that are damaged or faulty - replace them.
For more information and to download a free guide to Christmas light safety visit www.esc.org.uk
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