Oct 26 2009
‘Tis the season for a safe holiday
(ARA) – The holiday season is filled with endless celebrating, shopping and decorating. But during all the hustle and bustle, people often overlook simple safety precautions. Whether decorating a home inside and out with colorful lights, setting up holiday items in your office or stringing decorations in a dorm room, it is important to remember some important holiday safety tips.
CSA International, a global certification and testing organization, recommends that you follow these indoor and outdoor decorating and smart shopping tips to help ensure everyone has a safe holiday season:
Have yourself a very merry home: indoor safety tips
* Inspect holiday light strings each year and discard any with frayed cords, cracked lamp holders or loose connections.
* Never tack or staple lighting strings or extension cords to any surface.
* Never run electrical cords through doorways or under carpets and rugs.
* Always turn off holiday lights when you leave the house unattended or when going to bed.
* Do not use open flames or candles on or near flammable materials such as wreaths, trees or paper decorations.
* Avoid hanging decorations on or near objects like fire sprinklers, fire extinguishers, exit corridors or exit signs which can hinder one’s vision or safety.
Let your home glisten at night: outdoor lighting tips
* Before working with outdoor wiring, turn off the electricity to the supply outlet and unplug
the connection.
* Ensure that light strings, cords, spotlights and floodlights are certified and marked for outdoor use.
* When hanging lights outdoors, keep electrical connectors above ground, out of puddles or snow and away from metal gutters.
* Use insulated fasteners such as tape or plastic clips rather than nails or tacks to hold lights in place.
* Remove lights promptly after the holidays to avoid damage caused by extended exposure to harsh weather conditions.
* Use a certified timer to switch lights on and off.
Shop safe: avoid counterfeit products
Braving malls and department stores to find the perfect gift can be frustrating, time-consuming and expensive. This can lead people to shop online or at discount stores. While shopping online or searching for a “bargain” gift might make the holiday gift-giving season seem easier, it could also unintentionally put your family and friends at risk for a serious or fatal injury if that gift turns out to be a counterfeit.
Consumers should be wary when purchasing electric toys, household appliances, power tools, consumer electronics or other gifts with a price that seems too good to be true. Counterfeit electrical products have not been tested to the applicable standards and may present an electrical, fire or toxic danger. When purchasing products this holiday season, avoid products with poor packaging graphics, misspellings, missing contact information or flimsy construction. Always look for electrical products that have a certification mark on the package and the product itself and only buy from a trusted retailer.
For a fun and interactive Web site on holiday safety that the whole family can enjoy, visit CSAHoliday.com. For more general safety tips, visit www.CSASafetyTips.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
Related posts:
- Sharing the season’s sentiments sweetly
- Give holiday house guests the gift of a 5-star hotel experience
