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Safety Corner - Holiday Lighting
(Farm News - November 2009)
Holiday season is fast approaching — that special time of year when you may brighten your farm with colorful, twinkling lights. Although decorating with holiday lights can create a cheerful atmosphere, it is important to keep these safety tips in mind to help you avoid electrical fires, overloaded circuits and other holiday fire hazards.
- Use appropriate lights. When putting up lighting outside your farm, always use lighting that is specifically designed for outdoor use. Be sure to purchase lights and electrical decorations that have the name of an independent testing lab, and follow the manufacturer's instructions for installation and maintenance.
- Maintain your holiday lights. Be sure to inspect your holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in insulation, broken or cracked sockets and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up.
- Do not overload electrical outlets. Do not attach more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlet.
- Be sure to secure lighting properly. Never secure the wiring of outdoor lighting with staples or nails.
- Be careful of extension cords and wiring. Do not close doors or windows on extension cords, or mount lights in any way that can damage the cord's wire insulation.
