Southern California Edison Urges Safety This Holiday Season

Now that Thanksgiving is over, many Beverly Hills families are preparing their homes with holiday decorations. But before you string up Christmas lights or put out the electric menorah, read these safety tips from Southern California Edison.

“Most accidents are preventable. We hope people will take a few moments to make sure their equipment is in good working order and that there are no unsafe situations in the home,” said Bill Messner, SCE's acting director of corporate environment, health and safety. He urged residents to check for overloaded wall plugs, frayed light strings and other electrical safety and fire hazards.

According to the National Fire Protection Association:  

• Thirty percent of all home fires and 38 percent of home fire deaths occur during December, January and February.
• Christmas tree and holiday decoration fires result in twice the number of injuries and five times more fatalities per fire than the average winter holiday fire.
• On average, 260 home fires begin with Christmas trees each year, resulting in 12 deaths, 24 injuries and $16.4 million in property damage.
• Candles start 45 percent of home decoration fires.
• Nearly 6,000 people a year are treated in hospital emergency rooms for falls associated with holiday decorations. More than half of these injuries involve falls from ladders or roofs while decorating outdoors.
• About 4,000 injuries associated with electric extension cords result in emergency room visits each year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

SCE offered the following holiday lighting safety tips:

• Put lights on a timer, and unplug them when you leave the house. This also helps save energy and money.
• Beware of counterfeit or poor quality electrical products. Use only
  lighting and cords approved by the Underwriters Laboratories, an independent, nonprofit organization that tests electrical components and equipment for potential hazards.

LED holiday lights are a fraction of the cost to run, and they don't get as hot as incandescent holiday lights, reducing the chance of a fire.

• Only use electrical cords and light strands that are in good condition; don't overload outlets; and use only three strands per outlet or a surge protector.
• When hanging lights make sure staples, tacks and nails do not pierce or pinch wires. Loop a plastic zip cord around the lighting strand and secure the zip cord to the wall.

For more tips on lighting and safety during the holidays, click here. 

This story was compiled with information from City News Service.

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