Christmas is almost here, but once it’s come and gone there are many decorations to put away. You’ll want to enter the new year with a sense of peace about home safety. With this in mind here are a few things to remember when you’re taking down your decorations this year.
Ladders
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports hospitals see 12,500 people each year for injuries relating to holiday lights and decorations. According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International hospitals treat another 5,800 people per year because they’ve fallen from a ladder. To prevent becoming a member of these statistics, here are some tips to remember:
- Make sure your ladder extends 3 ft. beyond your working surface and you’ve set both the rung locks and spreader braces.
- Place your ladder on solid, level ground. Stand it upright at a 75-degree angle and have someone hold it while you’re on it.
- Make sure your ladder has slip-resistant feet and can support your weight.
- Don’t use metal ladders near electricity.
- Only have one person on the ladder at a time.
- Immediately put your ladder away once you’re done using it
Lights
According to the CPSC electrical extension cords cause 4,000 injuries . Thirteen percent of these injuries happened to children under 5-years-old, with 50% of those children receiving burns. So, when you’re taking down your lights make sure you unplug them correctly. Once they’re cooled off, don’t tug or pull them out of the socket and don’t leave them unattended. Put your cooled lights away immediately. You should also consider purchasing something specifically made for your lights so they’re in good shape next year too. If that’s not in your budget, grab an empty coffee can to use.
Ornaments and Displays
Make sure you take care when packing away your ornaments, especially things with spun glass (a.k.a. angel hair) with which you’ll want to wear gloves so you don’t irritate your eyes or skin. You can use empty egg cartons and wine boxes to pack these items away in. Of course, you can also find other items at your local hardware store. It’s best to group and pack displays together so you don’t lose any of its pieces. While at the hardware store grab a duffel bag for your artificial Christmas tree if you didn’t remember to save the box it came in.
While these are things anyone can do, sometimes electrical work requires an expert. If you feel if you can’t do something yourself, remember, we’re always here to help. Happy New Year!
All Phase Electric
2340 Bruner Lane Suit 100
Fort Myers, FL 33912
1-866-348-3781
239-939-7093