Last Minute Decorator? Check out These Safety Tips

You don't want to end up like Clark Griswold in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation when putting up your holiday decorations. So check out these tips from area police.

Outdoor tips:

• If you're using a ladder to ice your house with lights, check the condition of rails, rungs, and brackets before positioning or climbing it. It is better to not use a metal ladder when installing electrical decorations. Set ladders so the feet are on a stable, even and clean dry base. Have a spotter help steady the ladder, pass materials and tools, and prevent persons from entering the drop zone.

• Make sure your decorations don't block any exit or access to utility shut-offs, including faucets, outlets and meters. If you use an outdoor lighting socket as a power source for decorations, make sure the lighting you temporarily disable is not critical to your safety.

• Try to keep young children and pets out of areas where decorations are being installed. It’s very difficult to handle tools and materials properly and safely while keeping an eye on a toddling child or a wiggly dog bum.

Indoor holiday lighting tips:

• You want to use only lighting sets and extension cords that have the Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) or Factory Mutual (FM) label and are specifically marked for indoor use.

• Make sure to take time to unroll/untangle and inspect each set of lights—new or old—for worn insulation, bare/frayed wires, broken or cracked sockets, and loose connections. If you find any such damage, don't try to repair the set. Throw it away. Replace broken/damaged lamps/bulbs.

• Be careful not to overload electrical outlets. Always look for the manufacturer’s recommendations on the number of light sets that can be strung together and other precautions listed on the packaging for the lights.
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Outdoor lighting considerations:

• See above tips.

• Connect sets of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into an outlet.

• Always test your light sets before setting up your ladder—replacing broken/burnt-out bulbs is much easier on the ground than on a ladder/roof.

• To hold lights in place, string them through hooks or insulated staples—don't use nails or tacks.  Never pull or tug lights to remove or disconnect them.

One more thing—after you decorate, be sure to snap a photo and enter to win 100K for Prince George's County Public Schools.