Safety 101: Putting up Exterior Christmas Decorations
It seems that every year, more and more homes are flaunting the Christmas spirit from the inside out. Many of us love to travel the neighborhoods this time of year, enjoying the festive light displays that adorn the streets and homes. However, exterior Christmas decorations do not come without their share of risks and hazards. Consider the fact that you are working with electricity and ladders for most of your decorating efforts, and you can understand why many folk end up in emergency rooms, feeling less than festive after their decorating endeavors. This is why it is so important to begin your Christmas decorating with a few safety tips in mind.
Keeping Ladders Safe
It is an unfortunate truth that outdoor Christmas decorations often require the use of ladders to get those lights where you want them to go. There are a number of steps that you should take when climbing on ladders to ensure a safe decorating experience. First, never decorate solo if you can help it. Having a partner outdoors with you can help to stabilize the ladder, hand you decorations to reduce the number of times you have to climb up and down, and help you out if you get into trouble in a high place. Make sure that your ladder is always set on a stable surface that is level to avoid tipping. Never stand on the top step or the bucket step of your ladder, since these platforms were not designed to hold your weight. And always face toward the ladder when climbing up or down to ensure stability for you.
Keeping the Shock Factor Down
Electricity is another necessary component for outdoor Christmas decorations if you want your house to sparkle after the sun goes down. Besides the worry of climbing high to hang the lights, there is also the concern over receiving an unwanted shock from the electrical wires that you are working with. To keep yourself safe, never use a staple gun to hang lights. Instead, use plastic clips that are safely designed for this purpose. Use only lights that are made for outdoor illumination - it should say on the package whether the strands are designed for indoor or outdoor use. The same is true for the extension cords that you use. Be careful not to overload your circuits with to many extension cords at once, or you could up your risk for a fire. It is never a good idea to leave any Christmas decorations lit overnight or when you are not home.
By following a few basic safety tips, you can help to ensure that you outdoor Christmas decorations will make your holidays merry and bright without the concern over injuries or fire. Christmas is not the time for emergency room visits so get smart and stay safe for your holidays.
