Electrical Detectives Reminds Consumers of Holiday Electrical Safety
Herrin, IL. 12/01/2006
With the season of giving, celebrating, and decorating upon us, Electrical Detectives would like to take a moment to remind everyone of some simple, yet effective holiday electrical safety measures. After all, the holiday season is no time to suffer an electrical shock or accident.
"Most people spend several hours putting up their holiday lighting displays inside and outside their home," said Jason Shadowen, general manager. "I just want to make sure that everyone in our community has a safe and enjoyable holida y season."
To do so, Electrical Detectives reminds you to follow these safety standards when dealing with holiday decorations this winter:
• Be sure to read all of the manufacturer’s instructions on any electrical items you use this winter.
• Only use lights that have been certified by a recognized independent testing laboratory such as UL, ETL, or CSA.
• When you decorate outdoors, be certain to use only lights and decorations that are certified for outdoor use and are only plugged into a properly operating GFCI receptacle.
• Check each decoration bef ore plugging it into an outlet. Bare or loose wires or loose connections can cause shocks and fires.
• Always unplug any decoration before replacing the bulbs or fuses.
• When mounting lights, never do anything that would damage the cord or its insulation like stapling or nailing lights or cords.
• Don’t connect more than three light sets together, and sets with screw-in bulbs should have no more than 50 bulbs in one strand.
• Turn off all decorations when leaving home or before you go to bed.
• If you have a metallic tree, don’t use elect ric lights. Faulty lights can charge the tree with electricity so that it is dangerous to touch.
• When unplugging any decoration, be sure to use the gripping area provided on the plug.
• Don’t try to repair broken or faulty lights. Discard of them.
• Be careful not to overload your extension cords because this could result in a fire.
If yo u experience any electrical problem or inconvenience, you can always call your friends at Electrical Detectives at 877-4-WIRE-PI. Have a happy and safe holiday season!
For more information contact:
Jason Shadowen
General Manager
1800 N. 14th St.
Herrin, IL. 62948
618-988-8731
