The festive season is a pretty time of year with streets and houses decorated with twinkling lights and figurines yet electrical safety still needs to be a consideration with Christmas lighting to avoid the risk of injury caused by electric shock.
The ESC has issued the following essential safety advice to help you and your family safe this Christmas;
ALWAYS
1) Check that your Christmas lights are not damaged or broken before use and look out for loose wires
2) Ensure all outdoor lights are connected via a 30mA RCD protected socket indoors. An RCD will provide added protection against electric shock
3) Replace failed bulbs as soon as possible to prevent overheating
4) Use only replacement bulbs of the same type and rating as those originally supplied with the lights
5) Switch Christmas lights off and unplug them before you go out or go to bed
NEVER
1) Use lights outdoors unless specifically designed for such use
2) Connect different sets of lights together
3) Remove or change bulbs while the chain is connected to the electricity supply
4) Overload sockets and try to avoid the use of extension leads or adaptors
5) Use or attempt to repair lights that are damaged or faulty - replace them
Whether your Christmas decorations are up or yet to go up it’s never too late to carry out these simple precautions and checks which can be found in the ESC Christmas Lighting Quick Reference Guide.
For more electrical safety advice take a look at the Electrical Safety Council's website.
