Tuesday, 10 December 2013

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me.....

Extra fuel to a house fire.....

Well let us hope not! A sobering thought to anyone in the midst of celebrating this festive season is the fact that you are 50% more likely to die in a house fire over the Christmas period than at any other time during the year.

How to stay safe during the 12 days of Christmas and beyond....

Ensuring you purchase only safe electrical items and ensure they are used safely is a great start, however even the best managed household can quickly become an inferno with the added complacency that automatically occurs over Christmas.

Christmas Trees.

Christmas trees are one of the biggest culprits of electrical and other injuries with over 1000 visits every year to A&E taking place thanks to an injury caused by a Christmas tree. A further 350 people visit A&E following an injury caused by Christmas tree lights. Avoid storing items too close to your Christmas tree – just this week a house fire was caused by clothing being left too close to a Christmas tree, the fire was discovered and put out by the householders who luckily were at home and were alerted by their smoke alarm. However, had they have not been at home, or worse still had no smoke alarm, this story would have been far worse.

A video showing how quickly a Christmas tree can ignite a room can be seen here In less than one minute, fire has engulfed a room. For anyone who doesn't yet have a smoke alarm, please watch this video, it will be a wake up call.

Decorations, lights and Christmas cards

These are all part of Christmas, however they are also excellent fuel to a fire. The best advice is to not overload extension leads, and ensure an RCD is used on outdoor Christmas lights. It is also important to switch all lights off before going to bed. Now is the time of year to test your smoke alarm if you haven't done so recently and if need be replace the batteries. Never be tempted to take the batteries out and if you don't currently have a smoke alarm, advice can be obtained from fire alarm services companies in London to ensure your home is as protected as possible from fire.

In addition, be aware of babies and young children who may be tempted to pull at Christmas lights and cable leading to risk of electric shock. Christmas tree light bulbs and decorations can also be a choking hazard.

Fake Electrical Products

This year is no exception to the amount of fake electrical goods being offered for sale by unscrupulous traders. Do not shop out of desperation. If that much wanted gadget is suddenly readily available at a cheap price, then alarm bells should be ringing. Always shop from reputable stores and if you have a concern about an electrical item then do not use it.

Next Monday will be the biggest shopping day in the run up to the festive season, so be sure to stay on your guard against fake electricals.

Conclusion

Take a few simple precautions now will ensure you have the merriest of Christmases and what may seem like a “Christmas killjoy” article may save your life!


If you have an electrical concern, it is worth calling an electrical contractor in London who will take a look for you. It is better to address the problem now than risk it manifesting itself over the festive season.

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