With Christmas fast approaching and the whirlwind that 2020 has created it is easy to overlook safety. We are sharing some electrical safety tips for the holidays to make sure you and your family can enjoy the time with peace of mind.
Inspect electrical decorations for damage prior to use and installation. Cracked or damaged sockets, loose or bare wires, and loose connections are common issues from storage and ultimately may cause a serious shock or start a fire.
Overloading electrical outlets and faulty wires are a common cause of holiday fires. Be sure not to overload outlets and plug only one high-wattage appliance into each outlet at a time.
Never connect more than three strings of incandescent lights. More than three strands may blow a fuse and be the cause a fire.
Water. Water. Water. Keep a Christmas tree fresh by watering daily. Dry trees are a serious fire hazard and are often forgotten about once put up.
Battery-operated candles are the route to take as candles start almost half of home decoration fires.
In conjunction with number 5, it is important to keep combustibles at least three feet from heat sources. A heat source that was too close to the decoration was a factor in half of home fires that began with decorations.
To avoid shock or fire hazards be sure to protect your cords. Cords should never be pinched by furniture, forced into small spaces such as doors or windows, placed under rugs, located near heat sources, or attached by nails or staples.
When ordering decorations from online - check decorations for certification label. Decorations not bearing a label from an Independent testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Intertek (ETL) have not been tested for safety and could be hazardous.
Double check - Triple Check! Turn off, unplug, and extinguish all decorations when going to sleep or leaving the house. Unattended candles are the cause of one in five home candle fires. Half of home fire deaths occur between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (NFPA).
From our family to yours - we wish you an amazing holiday season this year! Be safe - stay healthy and make memories! We will be available and for Electrical Emergencies & After Hours through out the 2020 Holiday Season!
Best Wishes!
~Wireworks Electrical Services Ltd.
