Holiday Safety Tips

The Police Notebook
University of Oklahoma

General tips:

Assemble and inspect all tools and materials before beginning actual decoration installation.

Be aware of local or homeowner association regulations and restrictions on holiday decorations.

If using a ladder, check the condition of rails, rungs, and brackets before positioning or climbing it. It is better to not use a metal ladder when installing electrical decorations if avoidable. Set ladders so the feet are on a stable, even and clean dry base. Have a spotter, if available, to help steady the ladder, pass materials and tools, and prevent persons from entering the drop zone.

Survey the location where you intend to install decorations to ensure that nails, screws or brackets will not penetrate electrical or other utility lines. Use the proper style and size hanger for the weight of the decoration you intend to mount.

Indoor holiday lighting tips:

• Buy/use only lighting sets and extension cords that bear the Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL) or Factory Mutual (FM) label and are specifically marked for indoor use.

• Make certain you take time to unroll/untangle and inspect each set of lights —new or old— for worn insulation, bare/frayed wires, broken or cracked sockets, and loose connections. If you find any such damage, do not try to repair the set. Throw it away. Replace broken/damaged lamps/bulbs (and unplug the set prior to changing lamps/bulbs!)

• Be careful not to overload electrical outlets. Always look for the manufacturer’s recommendations on the number of light sets that can be strung together and other precautions listed on the packaging for the lights. If no manufacturer’s instructions are available, as a general rule, never string more than three sets of lights per single extension cord.

• Protect the electrical wires from damage. Don’t run lights/wires behind drapes, under carpet, through doorways, or where they will be walked on. Don’t use nails or tacks to hang wires. Plastic non-conductive “hangers” are available for various holiday light-set hanging needs.

• Always unplug lights before doing any maintenance work on them.

Decorations should never block any means of egress nor access to utility shutoffs, including faucets, outlets, or meters. Be sure your street address numbers are not obscured by decorations, either. If you use an outdoor lighting socket as a power source for holiday decorations, make certain the lighting you temporarily disable is not safety-critical.

Young children should be kept out of areas where decorations are being installed; it’s very difficult to handle tools and materials properly and safely while keeping an eye on them.

Outdoor lighting considerations:

• Buy/use only lighting sets and extension cords that bear the Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL) or Factory Mutual (FM) label and are specifically marked for outdoor use.

• Always look for the manufacturer’s recommendations on the number of lights sets that can be strung together and other precautions listed on the packaging for the lights.

• Check all light sets for fraying, aging, and heat damage. Throw away any sets that show signs of damage.

• Connect sets of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into an outlet.

• Always test your light sets before setting up your ladder —replacing broken/burnt-out bulbs is much easier on the ground than on a ladder/roof!

• To hold lights in place, string them through hooks or insulated staples; do not use nails or tacks. Never pull or tug lights to remove or disconnect them.

• Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with GFI (ground fault circuit interrupter) protection to avoid potential shocks.

• If you are using a ladder, avoid contact with overhead power lines when setting up your ladder, stringing lights, or working on the roof.

• Wherever extension cords and light sets are connected together outdoors, keep the connections dry by wrapping them with friction tape or plastic.

Tree Safety:

Fresh Trees —When selecting your tree, make sure to shake the tree vigorously, tap it on the ground, and watch for excessive loss of needles. If the tree loses a lot of needles, it’s already drying out, and a dry tree significantly increases the risk of the tree catching fire in your home. The trunk butt should be sticky with resin. Fresh trees should be green and the needles should be difficult to pull from the branches. Another good test is to take a single needle and bend it between your fingers. The needle should bend, not break. 

• Once you’ve selected a fresh tree and gotten it home, secure it in a sturdy stand and provide it with adequate water. At holiday time, many stores carry products designed to help you keep track of when your tree needs water. Keeping your tree well-watered will keep it supple so it retains its needles, making for less cleanup after the holidays and a lesser fire danger. Be sure to keep the stand filled with water because both cut and live trees dry out rapidly in heated rooms.

• Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals.
   
  (Hopefully you won’t even find “leaded” metal products available anywhere! For more information about lead-poisoning, click here to jump to the CDC’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Program website, which includes lists of current product recalls involving lead.).

• Artificial Trees —If you’re considering an artificial tree, the most important thing to look for is the “Fire Resistant” label. This means the tree has been treated with a chemical that makes it resist burning — It does not mean the tree can’t, or won’t, catch on fire. NEVER use electric lights on metallic trees — use spotlights for illumination. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.

• Greens —Evergreen (but NEVER cedar) cuttings may be used in limited quantities, but keep greens away from heat sources (radiators, air vents, large appliances, light receptacles, etc.) and don’t smoke near trees or greens. To be as safe as possible, greens/cuttings used for door adornment or for corridor/stairwell decorations (or really for use anywhere other than as a table centerpiece) should be flameproofed by flocking or other treatment.

Tree Lighting —Decorate the tree first, and plug in the lights last.

• Try to insure your lamps/bulbs don’t touch the tree or other decorations. Take time to unroll/untangle and carefully inspect each set of lights before stringing it on the tree. It’s easier to find and replace broken and burnt-out bulbs before stringing your lights on the tree! (And if a light set doesn’t work at all, better to know so before it’s on the tree, too!)

• Turn off or unplug your indoor holiday lighting whenever the decorated area of the house is unattended –-not just when going to bed or leaving the house. Nowadays, relatively cheap wired and wireless “remote control” switches are available to ease this task (and keep you from having to crawl/bend behind a Christmas tree or furniture to unplug a lighting set/scene.) Outdoor lighting timers and remote-control sets are also available and should be considered.
  • Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. When using candles for holiday accents, always use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they cannot be overturned.
  • In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable; keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to avoid the child swallowing or inhaling small pieces. Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.
  • Wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with spun glass “angel hair.” Follow container directions carefully to avoid lung irritation while decorating with artificial snow sprays.
  • Remove all wrapping papers, bags, paper, ribbons and bows from tree and fireplace areas promptly after gifts are opened. These items can pose suffocation and choking hazards to a small child, or can ignite if near a heat source.

  Live Tree & Greens/Cuttings Removal — Live trees and greens/cuttings should be removed as soon as practical after the holiday for which they were used.

   Thanks to the University of Oklahoma’s Police Department for these tips.