It’s almost time to get up in the loft or rummage in the garage for the box of Christmas lights and decorations. But before you start plugging everything in, think about electrical safety and any precautions you might need to take to protect your home and family this festive season.

We all have traditional favourites that we bring out year after year, but when it comes to anything electrical you need to carry out a few simple safety checks before you plug them in. Cables can easily become frayed or damaged, wires can become detached, and old bulbs can overheat and melt fittings so carefully examine everything first.

Check Your Lights

Christmas lights are often stored in a tangled mess which makes damage more likely and there’s more risk if they’re kept somewhere damp. Battery powered lights should have the power source removed before being packed away or the batteries are likely to corrode. The potassium hydroxide that leaks from batteries is highly toxic and can cause skin irritation, damage to your eyes and respiratory problems.

Old-style Christmas lights get hot whereas new LED bulbs operate at very low voltage, reducing the chance of an electric shock and using 80-90% less electricity. They’re far less likely to cause a fire as they stay cool to the touch and they’re much cheaper to run so it’s worth considering investing in new lights if yours have traditional filament or lantern bulbs. Make sure you buy from a reputable supplier and that they carry the CE safety mark.

Choose The Right Equipment

Many people like to decorate the outside of their homes with lights but it’s important that they are specially designed to be used in all weathers and are plugged into a socket with a residual current device (RCD) to prevent shocks and fires. All lights should always be switched off when you are out of the house and overnight – better still, put them on a timer so you don’t forget.

Don’t Get Overloaded

It’s tempting to overload sockets and extension leads at Christmas when you want to plug in lots of lights, but this is a serious fire risk and should be avoided. Supplement mains lights with battery-powered sets and consider buying rechargeable batteries to save money. If you have an imitation Christmas tree, make sure it’s fire resistant – and if it’s real don’t let it dry out or it’s a bigger fire risk (though you need to be careful when watering a tree with lights on!).

Christmas Statistics

Statistically, you’re more likely to have a fire-related incident over Christmas and the season is responsible for various festive injuries and even deaths:

• Christmas tree lights injure nearly 350 people annually
• 50% of fire-related deaths occur over Christmas
• 26 people died between 1997 and 2010 in the UK of electrocution while watering their Christmas tree with the lights on
• About 260 home fires begin with Christmas trees each year

Stay Safe

To make sure you keep yourself and your family safe over the Christmas period, check smoke alarms are working and do a dry run of your home fire escape plan to ensure everyone knows what to do.

For more advice about home fire safety including smoke and fire alarms and fire extinguishers, call Absolute Protection Group on 01622 437838.

Whether to save time or money, many people attempt DIY electrical work in the home. But it’s important to understand the legal requirements and potential risks before embarking on any such projects.

Around one in 20 people will end up in A&E at some time in their life due to a DIY disaster, but accidents involving electricity can have devastating consequences including fire, electric shock, serious injury and even death.

Registered electricians are frequently called to fix issues caused by attempts at small electrical jobs in the home, with cutting through power leads and drilling through cables in walls just two of the most common incidents.

The availability of YouTube video tutorials and other online advice often tempts people to take on jobs outside their normal ability and expertise, but electrical work is an area where this should be avoided at all costs.

There are a few small jobs that it’s acceptable to tackle, such as wiring a plug or replacing like-for-like fittings such as light switches and sockets. But any bigger electrical work is covered by Part P of the Building Regulations and should be carried out by a qualified electrician, or at the very least checked and signed off by one.

Part P was introduced in 2005 to keep people safe from electrical hazards and ensure any works carried out meet a required standard. Failure to comply with the regulations, or to get work checked once completed, is not only dangerous but will also invalidate home insurance policies so it’s not worth the risk.

Some electrical work is notifiable, such as replacing a fuse board or rewiring a house. This means you must apply for permission from your local authority before carrying it out, unless you employ a qualified electrician who is registered with one of the Government-approved scheme providers and can sign off the work themselves. Otherwise, the work must be inspected on completion.

When carrying out even the simplest electrical tasks, it’s important to take your time and ensure you follow the safety rules every step of the way. NEVER do any electrical work until you are certain the power has been isolated at the fuse board.

Be certain the circuit you are working on is not live by switching the circuit breaker off and checking the lights or sockets in the room. If the circuits are not carefully labelled, switch off each breaker from left to right followed by the mains switch. You can then use a voltage detector to ensure there is no power flowing, preventing an electric shock.

By far the safest way to ensure your electrical work is done safely and to the required standard is to employ a qualified electrician. But people are often concerned they will end up with a huge bill or be hoodwinked by a rogue trader. So how can you ensure you’re making the right choice?

It’s important to check that they are registered with a government-approved scheme, which means they are qualified to carry out complex electrical work and their skills are regularly reviewed.

At Absolute Protection Group all our electricians are NICEIC and CHAS (Contractor’s Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) approved and their essential training is regularly refreshed.

They are also fully insured, checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and carry ID with them at all times. In addition, all our electrical installation work carries a two-year warranty.

For further details visit our website or call 01622 437838.