The glow of Christmas lights is one of the many enjoyable aspects of the Christmas season. Unfortunately, for many families, the tradition of Christmas lights quickly turns to tragedy. In the U.S., nearly 15,000 people are treated in hospital emergency departments each year because of injuries related to holiday decorating (source). Additionally, approximately 800 home structure fires begin with Christmas decorations each year, with an additional 160 beginning specifically with Christmas trees (source). These fires are responsible for a few fatalities, as well as an average of 11 injuries and about $12 million in property damage.
Thankfully, taking basic safety precautions can significantly decrease the risk of injury and fire when using Christmas lights.
Tips for safely using Christmas lights
Pick the right kind of light
When purchasing Christmas lights, look for those that are UL-listed. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent organization that tests products and certifies their safety. UL-listed lights have been tested and approved. Whether you choose LED or incandescent lights is up to you, but there are important things to consider when choosing.
LED vs. incandescent lights
LED lights generally cost more initially, but they last longer, use less electricity, and stay cool when on. Incandescent lights generally cost less initially, but they aren’t as durable, use more electricity, and tend to get warm when on. Because LED lights stay cooler and use less electricity (allowing more strings to be strung together safely), they are safer than incandescent lights.
Indoor vs. outdoor lights
Some Christmas lights are made for indoor use, some for outdoor use, and some can be used indoors or outdoors. Be sure to choose the right lights so they can withstand the conditions where they will be in use.
Assess their condition
Broken or missing bulbs can cause electrocution and fires, so carefully check each string and replace bulbs as needed. If several bulbs in a row are out, then try replacing the fuses in the end of the light string. For your safety, be sure to unplug lights before changing bulbs and fuses! If you notice frayed cords or wires showing through the cord insulation, then it is time to replace the string of lights.
Use the right extension cords
Indoor-use extension cords are okay for indoor lights, but be sure to use an outdoor-use extension cord when decorating with lights outdoors (these latter cords can withstand cold and wet conditions). Also, consider the wattage rating of your extension cord. If an extension cord isn’t designed to carry as much electricity as you demand of it, overheating and fire can happen.
Keep cords dry
When used outdoors, it is common for extension cords to be exposed to moisture. If they become wet, the junctions between extension cords and light strings become a safety hazard. These can easily be kept dry with the use of plug protectors.
Reduce tripping hazards
There are two types of tripping to consider. The first is a person physically tripping over cords. The second is tripping a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
Physical tripping
Whether being used indoors or outdoors, power cords can be tripping hazards. Consider where you walk in the home and yard when placing cords. A variety of products, including cord floor covers for indoors and outdoors, can help reduce the risk of tripping.
Tripping an outlet
Outdoor Christmas lights should always be powered from a GFCI outlet. If equipment is damaged, wet, or defective, it will trip the outlet, preventing electrocution. Likewise, the outlet will trip when there is too much current flowing through it, preventing fires. Using lights that are in good condition, keeping cords dry, and not overloading circuits will help keep outlets from tripping.
Don’t string cords through open windows, door cracks, or along sharp surfaces
It is important to keep cords from developing cracked or frayed insulation. Damage of this sort can easily occur when cords are pinched or rub up against sharp edges. This means that it is unsafe to plug a cord into an indoor outlet and run it outside via an open window or crack in the door.
Don’t string too many lights together
With both indoor and outdoor lights, you want to avoid stringing too many lights together. As noted above, this can overload the circuit. However, the strings can also get too warm, which is a fire hazard. This is less of a concern with LED lights (refer to the box the lights came in to see how many can safely be strung together). For incandescent lights, the rule of thumb is to string no more than three together.
Use the right ladder on a stable surface when installing lights
For obvious reasons, you should always place ladders on dry, level surfaces before climbing on them. However, when installing lights, it is also a good idea to consider the type of ladder you are using. Metal ladders increase the risk of electric shock, so choose one made of a non-conductive material (wood or fiberglass).
Use clips or hooks to hang the lights
Though nails and staples are readily available and cheap, these are not good options for hanging lights. They are sharp and can pierce the lights, creating the possibility of electrical shock. It is a better idea to use hooks or clips made specifically for hanging Christmas lights. Another option is to wrap lights around tree trunks and pillars.
Don’t leave the lights on 27/7
Christmas lights are not designed to be used all day and night, so be sure to turn them off for a portion of the day. An easy way to do this is to use a heavy-duty outlet timer.
Be careful when decorating people and pets
It sounds silly to talk about decorating people and pets, but people often drape themselves in Christmas lights or set their baby amidst a blanket of lights to take holiday photos. If you are going to do this, please use battery-operated LED lights, not lights that are plugged into an outlet. The latter is, of course, risky because the wearer can get burned or electrocuted. In addition to being safer, battery-operated LED lights often come in cute varieties, making them great for photos, parties, and parades.
Store carefully
As noted earlier in the post, you don’t want to use light strings that are damaged. One easy way to avoid damaging the strings is to store them carefully (and you do want to store them—Christmas lights are not designed to be left out all year long). Try to roll the light strings neatly so they don’t get tangled and don’t cram them into a soft-sided box where they can get crushed (this can break bulbs). I accomplish this by using light reels placed in a plastic tote.
Final thoughts
My kids love the lights that are up in the front of our house, and they are eager for our annual drive around the community to look at all the decorations other households have up. We’ll take our Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt with us as we do this.
For additional tips on Christmas light safety, visit my sources:
- Christmas Light Safety Guide
- 7 Electrical Safety Tips for Holiday Lights
- Outdoor Christmas Light Safety
Do you have Christmas decorations up this year? Which are your favorites? What safety tips would you add?
