Christmas Lighting - Ten Steps to Stay Safe

For many streets across Britain, Christmas lighting is a grand affair. If a street holds an annual Christmas lighting competition, it often leads to houses covered from porch to chimney pot in electrical lights of all colours. Here are a few things to remember to stay safe with all your electrical lighting this Christmas.

1. When purchasing any electrical lights, read and follow the manufacturer's instructions, and retain instructions for future reference.
2. Check that all Christmas lights are undamaged and do not have any loose wires exposed.
3. When replacing a bulb, always use the same bulb type and rating as those originally supplied with the lights. Any outdoor lighting should be connected through a 30mA RCD protected socket. An RCBO could also be fitted to provide added protection against an electric shock.
4.  Replace any failed lamps immediately to prevent overheating. If the lamps are not replaceable, the whole lighting product may need to be replaced.
5. Any flammable decorations or other materials that burn easily should be kept away from all electrical lighting.
6. Switch off all lighting before you go to bed each night.
7. Keep the packaging for safe storage use. Avoid storage in damp or excessively hot conditions.
8. Never use electric lights outdoors, unless they are specially designed for such use.
9. Never overload sockets and try to avoid the use of extension leads or adaptors.
10. Never remove or insert lamps whilst the chain is connected to the supply.

If somebody does suffer an electric shock - always switch off the electricity supply before removing the casualty away from the danger if it is safe to do so. Contact the emergency services immediately. Check the location of your fuse box, so it can be reached quickly in case of an emergency.

Christmas lights operate at either mains voltage (230 volts) or an extra low voltage. This information should be stated on the packaging. The safest Christmas lights operate at extra low voltage through a transformer, which will reduce the risk of electric shock if there is a leakage or a bulb breaks.

The most common types of electric lights used for Christmas lights are traditional filament (incandescent) light bulbs, these use either mains voltage or extra low voltage.

LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights are the safest form of Christmas lights. LEDs only operate at extra low voltage. They use much less power than traditional lights and produce less heat. A special plastic is used to make an LED light, which means there is no glass to break or flake.

In 2009, a commission report was published revealing 30% of randomly tested Christmas lights failed basic safety checks. The main risks highlighted were from electric shocks and fire outbreaks. When purchasing any electrical lights, always go to a reputable dealer where basic standards should be assured.

Every year electric lighting helps transform a dull fir tree into a magical Christmas tree. If you take note of the tips and information, this should ensure the safety of you and your loved ones this Christmas.