When Christmas celebration is around the corner, decorating Christmas lights on the Christmas tree is always the favorite decoration for every household that celebrates the festive occasion. These lights and decorations always captivate not only children but adults alike especially the lights that produce stunning display of twinkling color. Even if you are having great time decorating your house, do not forget that there are risks or danger that Christmas tree lights pose especially when it is being used inside your house. Therefore, preventive measures need to be taken into consideration against potential threatening situations.
What you need to do:
- Fire Hazards
- Choking Hazards
- Pre-lit Tree Risks
- Fake Tree Dangers
Christmas Tree Lights
Method:
- The Christmas tree lights can spark electrical fires onto your Christmas tree if it is not installed properly or the product is of low quality.
- From research done by the U.S. Fire Administration, a fire can be ignited on to your Christmas tree just by a mere short in one light from your electrical light string especially in dry places rather than on a well-watered Christmas tree. Therefore, it is recommended that you keep the Christmas trees well-watered in order to reduce the potential of an electrical light fire.
- Christmas tree lights can also be dangerous to children because they can get tangled up in the lights string if it is not set up properly.
- These electrical light strings might be wrapped around your toddlers or small children’s necks if they are not under adult supervision when playing near the Christmas tree.
- Make sure that your toddlers and small children are not being left alone in a room that has boxed or partially strung Christmas tree lights lying around. The children might be thinking that the string is like toys and may attempt to string the lights by themselves.
- There are also cases reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission where some consumers have experienced electrical shocks and fires resulting from exposed wiring, too short wires being used and electrical cords that were not properly plugged in.
- Apart from not purchasing pre-lit trees in order to prevent cases such as mentioned above, try to take extra safety precautions for instance by placing your Christmas tree lights in area, which is well-ventilated and not likely to spread fire very quickly especially not near your furniture, pillows, fabric sofas or gifts.
- Besides danger coming from the usage of real trees and pre-lit trees, artificial trees are also vulnerable to Christmas tree light risks and researched done by the National Christmas Tree Association, fake trees can easily ignites fire whenever you have overloaded them with electrical sockets to light up the light strings.
- This also may happen to flame retardant or flame resistant artificial trees because their resistance will wears off once it is completely consumed in flames.
- Always pay attention and follow the instructions mentioned on the label of your Christmas tree light packaging. This information is important for you to know in order to determine how many of the light strings you can use and safely connect to the power supply without posing any threat or providing fire hazard to your house during the holiday seasons.
Additional Reading:
Pictorial Guide To Christmas Ornaments & Collectibles (Identification and Values)
Collector’s Encyclopedia of Electric Christmas Lighting
