After a tough year, the holidays are finally upon us! If you’re like many Albertans, you’re chomping at the bit to set up your decorations. This week we want to review some important safety measures you should consider when decking the halls.
Enlist a Buddy. A second set of eyes and hands is always a good idea when using ladders or electricity. They can often spot things you can’t see, and if anything ever does happen they can call for help right away. Think of this as the perfect opportunity to spend time with someone you love.
Plan Ahead. Before you start tossing up the lights and setting up the inflatable lawn decorations, take the time to plan out your design. Consider the usable outlets and potential hazards.
Use Your GFCI Outlets. When stringing up lights outdoors, make sure they are connected to a GFCI outlet. It’s wintertime in Alberta and all that snow creates the perfect opportunity for an electrical short.
Check the Lights. Even Clark Griswold checked all 25,000 twinkling lights before attempting to turn them on. Be like Clark and go through all your lights, old and new, to check for broken sockets, frayed wires, and loose connections.
Choose the Right Tree. When purchasing an artificial tree, make sure it is fire resistant. If you’re opting for a real one, make sure it is fresh. Dry trees combined with rogue electricity can be a dangerous fire hazard.
Stay Away from Power Lines. Keep all decor, equipment, and family visitors at least ten feet away from power lines at any time.
Read the Label. Yes, we know that directions aren’t the most exciting part of the holiday season, but reading them is important. Lights and other wired decorations will almost always display acceptable wattage levels. You don’t want to overload the system and have a blackout on Christmas Eve!
Follow these tips to keep you and your family safe this holiday season. And don’t worry, if you accidentally cause an outage, we do have 24/7 emergency service. From all of us here at Westridge Electric, have a safe and happy Christmas!
