The most wonderful time of the year, if…
you don't end up roasting more than the turkey
With young (ish) children, this time of the year is pretty magical. I just love the day when we put up all of our decorations and make the house look festive, but working for the Low Voltage division of ABB has made me a bit more mindful of electrical safety.
So I’ve looked up some tips, to make sure everyone has a happy holiday and a great start to the New Year.
Tony Cable (yes that really is his name), Senior Electrical Engineer for NICEIC and ELECSA, said: “Electrical safety in the home is important at any time of the year, but at Christmas we tend to forget that all the decorative lights we use around the home massively increase the dangers to our family.
“Just grabbing old lights from the loft and plugging them in isn’t acceptable. Everyone needs to be aware of the dangers and take into account the risks when lighting their home for Christmas.”
So when you dust off the Christmas lights make sure you check them carefully to ensure you don’t end up roasting more than the turkey!
Follow the simple rules:
– check your Christmas lights are not damaged or broken before use and look out for loose wires
– use only replacement bulbs of the same type and rating as those originally supplied with the lights
– don’t overload sockets – avoid extensive use of extension sockets and adapters. Do not plug multiple extensions into each other.
– don’t re-wire your lights so that 2, 3 or 4 sets of lights are wired into a single plug.
– follow manufacturers’ instructions for outdoor lights – only use lights outside that are meant for outdoor use
– ensure plugs and transformers are plugged in indoors, even if the lighting is suitable for outdoor use
– switch your lights off and unplug them before you go to bed or go out
– tell your children that they should never put the lights on if an adult isn’t around
– keep lights away from flammable decorations and materials that can burn easily
A colleague told me today that there are four stages in life, the first is when you believe in Santa, the second is when you don’t, the third is when you dress up as Santa and the forth is when you start to look like Santa, but no matter what stage you are at, have a safe and fun Holiday this year.