Safety
AROUND YOUR HOME

Holiday decorating safety tips

Barbara Cooper

Decorating your home for the holiday season can bring joy and satisfaction when you keep safety in mind. There are approximately 500 fires each year due to holiday decorations resulting in $20 million in property loss and damage. Additionally, many people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries related to holiday decorations. Follow these simple safety precautions to protect your home and family this season.

Before decorating, check each set ot lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections and discard damaged sets. When buying decorative strings of lights, look for a label or tag bearing an approval by a recognized laboratory or testing company.

One of the most familiar symbols found on electrical products is the UL label given by Underwriter's Laboratory. Revised UL standards for Christmas tree and decorative lighting went into effect in January 1997. The change resulted in tougher requirements for products and components used in the electrical holiday products.

Underwriter's Laboratory has started using a holographic label for decorative lighting strings. The labels have a silver base with multicolored shapes and UL marks that appear to float in a 3-D background. Labels for indoor lighting strings will use the UL listing mark printed in green ink. Labels for lighting strings intended for both indoor and outdoor use are printed with red ink.

In addition to light strings, buy and use extension cords with approval labels or tags. A general rule of safety is to plug no more than three strings of lights into one extension cord.

If you are decorating with lights outdoors, use only lighting strings and extension cords that are marked 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. Both indoor and outdoor lights should be turned off when you leave your home and before you go to bed.

Each year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission inspects retailers and distributors to identify potentially hazardous decorations and lights. To hear recall information or to report dangerous products, consumers should call the CPSC toll free Hotline at (800) 638-2772.

When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." Although this label doesn't mean the tree won't catch fire, it does indicate the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.

If purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. See page 16 for advice on buying a tree. Place it away from fireplaces and radiators. Be sure to keep the tree stand filled with water.

Avoid hanging combustible decorations near the fireplace. When using the fireplace, make sure the flue is open and a spark screen is in place. Store fireplace matches in a fireproof container out of the reach of children. Don't put wrapping paper or your Christmas tree in the fireplace to burn.

Use care with "fire salts" which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten. Keep them away from children.

Barbara Cooper is an Extension Educator, Consumer & Family Economics, at the Springfield Extension Center, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Illinois. You can write to her in care of Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708. Telephone: (217) 782-6515. E-Mail: cooperb@idea.ag.uiuc.edu

14 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING DECEMBER 1997