The snow falls, the hot cocoa warms on the stove, and the Christmas tree stands ready for decorating in your living room. You can feel the hum of excitement around your home as the holiday season gets ready to take shape. Don’t let that hum change into the buzz of a disastrous Christmas light electrocution injury! To help you and your family stay safe over the holidays, Lerner and Rowe’s electrocution injury lawyer team presents the following safety tips.
5 Tips to Prevent a Christmas Light Electrocution Injury
1. Outdoor for Outdoor, Indoor for Indoor
You planned a show-stopping Christmas spectacular outside your home to match your festive indoor lighting. As you set up, also remember to use lights specific to indoor and outdoor use. Indoor lights tend to be more vibrant, but aren’t as sturdy. Using them outdoors could lead to an electrical accident. Outdoor lights should have an ingress protection (IP) rating of 44 or higher. The IP rating measures an electrical enclosure’s ability to withstand foreign elements, such as precipitation and dirt.
The same goes for extension cords and surge protectors. Some people are unaware that basic extension cords and surge protectors are rated for indoor use only. Ones suitable for outdoor use are generally sturdier and able to withstand the elements. It sounds simple, but following the “outdoor for outdoor and indoor for indoor” rule for all of your lights, cables, and surge protectors is a vital Christmas light electrocution injury safety precaution.
2. Don’t Overcrowd Outlets
We know you have your tree lights, your garland, and maybe a family keepsake light-up angel figurine all plugged into the same extension cord. That should work fine, but don’t add any additional load to that outlet. Each electrical outlet usually has two places to plug in. Make sure you do not put more electrical input into the outlet than it can handle. Usually, three light cords per outlet is a good rule of thumb. Overcrowding your outlets can cause a short circuit.
3. Avoid Flammable Materials
Many holiday decorations double as fire starters. Consequently, you may not realize the hazards around you. Be careful of where you place your lights in relation to other decorations. Putting them too close together could cause an electrical fire, which can lead to a burn injury. Some common flammable holiday decorations include:
- Fabric and paper ornaments
- Tree skirts
- Pine Needles
- Garland
- Gift wrapping paper
- Gift tags and bows
Avoid contact between decorative lights and these items if possible. Do not use real candles as replacements for tree lights. Above all, keep your tree adequately watered throughout the season; this minimizes your chance of dried needles roasting on an open fire as opposed to chestnuts.
4. Unplug This Season!
After a long day of holiday cheer, your lights deserve a break. They worked hard bringing joy to all those people! Do not leave any lights on after you go to bed. Those lights might get into a lot of trouble while unsupervised and take full advantage of all those flammable materials mentioned above. Your neighbors deserve a break from the lights too. If you do decide to turn the lights on in the dark, use a flashlight to see the location of the outlet. You can get electrocuted simply by plugging in.
Overworked lights are more prone to failure. At best, a blown light will ruin your ornate decorations. At worst, it could lead to a Christmas light electrocution injury. Simple outlet timers and more advanced smart home solutions that use Apple Homekit, Google Home, or bluetooth make scheduling light operation time easy, so there’s to reason to overwork your lights.
5. Protect Wires at All Costs
Finally, the most important way to avoid disaster is to protect your wires. Avoid using tacks and staples to set up lights. Consequently, metal fasteners can disrupt the electricity running through the wires. Instead, use plastic ties or plastic stick-on wall hooks. These non-conductive materials are a much safer way to keep your lights safe and, more importantly, protect your family from a Christmas light electrocution injury.
Suffer a Christmas Light Electrocution Injury? Call Lerner and Rowe.
Above all, don’t have a blue Christmas! If you or a family member suffered a Christmas light electrocution injury this holiday season, Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys can help. Call us today at 844-977-1900 or use our LiveChat feature. Our representatives are available 24/7 to answer your inquiry. You can also submit your case information through our online contact form. Consultations are free, so don’t hesitate to contact us. Another Christmas miracle? There is no fee unless your case is won.