News Releases

For Immediate Release December 6, 2005

Contact:

Lissa Hurwitz Program Manager 703-841-3291

For Happy Holidays, Follow Electrical Safety Tips

(Arlington, Va.) The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is reminding those at home and in the workplace to keep electrical safety in mind when decorating for the holiday season:

• Before decorating, read and follow the manufacturers' instructions concerning installation and maintenance of all decorative electrical products.
• Indoors and out, use lights and other electrical decorations certified by a recognized independent testing laboratory such as CSA, UL, or ETL.
• Outdoors, use lights and other electrical decorations certified for outdoor use.
• Carefully inspect each decoration before plugging into an outlet. Cracked, frayed, loose or bare wires, and loose connections may cause a serious electric shock or start a fire. Replace damaged items.
• Always unplug an electrical decoration before replacing light bulbs or fuses.
• Don't mount or support light strings in any way that might damage the cord's insulation. Never nail or staple light strings or extension cords.
• Do not connect more than three light string sets together. Light strings with screw-in bulbs should have no more than 50 bulbs connected together.
• Don't overload extension cords – they can overheat and start a fire.
• Keep all outdoor extension cords and light strings clear of snow and standing water and well protected from weather.
• Use caution when decorating near power lines. Contact with a high-voltage line could lead to electrocution.
• Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
• Don't allow children or pets to play with electrical decorations. Even small light decorations can produce a deadly electric shock if they are misused.
• Turn off all electrical decorations before leaving home or going to bed.
• Plug outdoor electric lights and decorations into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). Portable GFCIs can be purchased wherever electrical supplies are sold.

For additional electrical safety information, visit the Foundation's web site at www.electrical-safety.org or call 703-841-3229.

Founded in 1994, ESFI, the Electrical Safety Foundation International, is North America's only non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to promoting electrical safety in the home, school and workplace. A registered 501(c)(3) funded by leading electrical manufacturers, internationally recognized testing laboratories, electrical unions and associations, utilities and consumer groups and individuals, ESFI sponsors National Electrical Safety Month each May, and engages in public education campaigns and proactive media relations to help reduce property damage, injury and death due to electrical accidents.