20 Ways to Make Your Home Safe During the Holidays

Oklahoma-Based Utility Offers Electrical Safety Tips

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OGE Energy Corp.

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Decorating with lights to make your home merry and bright during the holidays can quickly turn a happy occasion into a tragic one if you're not careful.

"Overloading circuits is one of the most common mistakes made by consumers who decorate with lights," said Clayton Abernathy, a safety consultant for OGE Energy Corp., parent company of OG&E Electric Services, Oklahoma's largest electric utility. "No more than three strings of lights should be connected together per single extension cord."

Abernathy said a good sign that a circuit is overloaded is when the cord is so warm that it is uncomfortable to hold in your hand.

"This often will cause the circuit to trip -- another indication that a circuit is overloaded," he said. "Consumers should not continue to reset the breaker, but instead, do something to correct the problem.

"One way is by purchasing extension cords that have a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter built into them or by having a GFCI installed at their home."

According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, each year, more than 1,300 people are taken to hospital emergency rooms for injuries related to holiday lights. And, more than 6,000 people are injured by holiday decorations and Christmas trees. Christmas trees are involved in about 400 fires annually.

To help consumers avoid possible fires and injuries during the holidays, OG&E has prepared 20 lighting safety tips.

1. Check indoor and outdoor lights before using them. Place them on a nonflammable surface and plug them in for at least 15 minutes to make sure they don't smoke or melt.

2. Select lights that use low-wattage bulbs.

3. Check lights (new and old) for broken, cracked sockets and loose connections. Also, check the wiring insulation to be sure it is not frayed or cut.

4. Use only indoor and outdoor lights that have the UL safety-approved label.

5. Don't overload circuits, outlets or extension cords.

6. When stringing outdoor lights, use a dry wooden or fiberglass ladder and stay away from overhead power lines and service drops to the house.

7. Don't use nails, tacks or staples to hang lights. Use insulated clip hangers instead.

8. Don't use indoor lights outdoors. They are not waterproof.

9. Make sure your tree is watered every day to avoid risk of fire.

10. Artificial trees should have a "flame resistant" label.

11. Illuminate a metal tree with a spotlight. Never use regular lights.

12. Don't let bulbs come in contact with flammable material including needles, branches, paper and other decorations.

13. Unplug lights while changing bulbs.

14. Don't connect lights while adjusting them on the tree.

15. Keep cords away from metal objects and away from water.

16. Don't use outdoor lights indoors. They usually burn hotter than indoor lights.

17. Unplug indoor and outdoor lights before leaving home or going to sleep.

18. Install smoke detectors throughout your home. Check the batteries annually.

19. Do not run electric cords underneath rugs or carpet.

20. Check the label to make sure that electric toys have been tested by a fire safety agency.

Nov. 9, 1999