Tulsa Christmas Lighting Safety Tips

Many use Christmas lighting during the winter to light up the night and brighten the season. But while holiday lighting and decorations can create a beautiful winter scene for your Tulsa home or business, these lights can also create a fire hazard if not used properly.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) noted that between 2007-2011 holiday lighting and decorative lights with line voltage were involved in an average 150 home structure fires per year.
To protect your loved ones as well as your home or business, take these safety precautions from the National Safety Council and the NFPA when decorating your home or commercial property.

• Before you hang your lights, check for any broken or cracked sockets, loose bulb connections, and frayed or bare wires. Do not use lights with damaged parts.
• Lights should be unplugged before replacing bulbs and fuses.
• Use clips to hang lights instead of nails, tacks, or staples so that the wires are not damaged.
• Only use lighting that is tested by an independent testing and rating laboratory like the Underwriters Laboratories (UL Label).
• Use the correct type of holiday lighting for the environment – whether for indoor or outdoor use – following the manufacture’s guidelines.
• Connect a maximum of three stands of miniature light sets and 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs. Be sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions for connecting LED strands.
• Do not overload extension cords.
• Do not close windows or doors on extension cords.
• Turn off all lights and decorations before going to bed or leaving your home or business.
• Holiday lighting is meant to be used temporarily, up to 90 days, so take down and properly store all lighting after the holidays.
• When hanging outdoor lighting, be sure your ladder is on level ground and never stand on the top three rungs of the ladder. When laying against a roof, the ladder should reach at least three feet above the edge of the roof. Use a wooden or fiberglass ladder.
• Avoid hanging lights near combustible materials and do not hang or cover lighting with combustible materials like cloth or paper.
• Check with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for recalled holiday lights sets that could pose a greater fire or shock hazard.
• Do not use electric lights on metal Christmas trees.

For more information on winter and holiday fire safety, visit the NFPA at www.nfpa.org. The twinkling lights of holiday decorations can brighten up your neighborhood or business, but keep in mind these safety tips to protect yourself this season.