Earlier in the week, we talked about electrical safety for outdoor Christmas decorations. We will end the week with some tips on inddor holiday decorating safety of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Trees & Decorations
- When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." Although this label does not mean the tree will not catch fire, it indicates the tree resists burning and should extinguish quickly.
- When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.
- When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces and radiators. Because heated rooms dry live trees out rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water.
- Place the tree on the taxiway and do not block doorways.
Lights
- inside or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a laboratory 'recognized testing, which indicates compliance with safety standards. Use only lights that have fused plugs.
- Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare son, or loose connections, and discard damaged sets. Always replace the bulbs quickly burned with the same wattage bulbs.
- Do not use more than three sets of standard size lights per single extension cord. Make sure the extension cord is rated for the intended use.
- Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
- Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use.
- Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect the lights from wind damage. Use only insulated staples to hold strings in place, not nails or tacks. Or, run strings of lights through hooks (available at hardware stores).
- Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.
- For additional protection against electric shock, plug the lights and outdoor electrical decorations into circuits protected by circuit breakers leakage to ground (GFCI). open air portable GFCIs can be purchased where electrical supplies are sold. GFCI can be installed permanently to household circuits by a qualified electrician.
Decorations
- Use only non-combustible or fire-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or metal nonleaded. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.
- Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable, and place candles where they will not be reversed.
- In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations sharp, weighted or breakable. Keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children who could swallow or inhale small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat.
- Wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with spun glass "angel hair." Follow the instructions of the container carefully to avoid lung irritation while decorating with artificial snow sprays.
Fireplaces
- Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fire. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten. Keep them away from children.
- Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.
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