Decorating for the holidays, safely

With the holidays underway, folks are busy decorating their homes with lights, trees, candles and other festive decor. With hopes for a happy, healthy and safe season, here are some tips to help steer clear of holiday mishaps:

Indoors

• For artificial trees, look for one with a fire-resistant label. Keep trees away from fireplaces, radiators and other sources of heat.
• If you prefer a live tree, choose one that is fresh. A fresh tree will be vibrantly green and its needles will not break when bent. Be sure to keep the tree watered through the season.
• Consider using battery-operated candles for safety. If you use conventional candles, keep them away from flammable items and place them out of reach of pets and children. Never leave burning candles unattended.
• If you are using your fireplace, remove mantel decorations and make sure the flue is open before firing it up. Keep a screen in front of the fireplace while the fire is burning.

Outdoors

• Keep ladders and decorations away from overhead power lines when decorating outside.
• Ensure ladders are securely placed on the ground before climbing. Don’t overreach while on a ladder.
• Outdoor lights and inflatable decorations should be plugged into circuits protected by ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs), which help prevent electric shock.
• Lights
• Check all lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Replace or repair damaged strings.
• Lights should be approved by Underwriters Laboratory (UL). The letters “UL” will be clearly displayed on the tag, signifying the product has been inspected for potential safety hazards. A red UL mark indicates the lights are safe for both indoor and outdoor use; a green UL mark indicates the lights are safe for indoor use only.
• Ensure outdoor decorations are properly secured.
• Do not hammer tacks or nails into the electrical cord when hanging lights on your home. Use clips instead to safely attach them. .
• Use a timer or turn off lights before going to bed or while away from home.
• Indoor lights should not touch drapes, furniture or carpeting.

Alabama Power experts work every day, holiday or no holiday, to keep your electric service reliable. Outage Alerts provides near-real-time updates to customers, delivered to the channel of your choice: text, email or automated phone call.

Content provided by Alabama Power via AlabamaNewsCenter.com.