Outdoor Christmas Light Safety

While outdoor Christmas lights are a fun and festive way to celebrate the season, they can also be hazardous and lead to numerous safety issues each year when installed incorrectly. Nevertheless, millions of holiday revelers continue to enjoy red, green, sparkly lights as they brighten the December sky. They just need to follow some common sense safety rules.

History

Centuries ago, people put candles in their trees on Dec. 24 (but not earlier, due to safety issues); electrical outdoor tree lights were invented by Edward Johnson, an assistant to Thomas Edison, in the late 1800s and appeared on trees in Boston as early as 1912, spreading to trees all over the world by the middle of the 20th century.

Significance

Outdoor Christmas tree lights were created as an extension of indoor holiday lights and decorations, as a way of sharing one family's festivity with a larger audience. Earlier this century, wealthier members of society began hosting expensive Christmas tree parties and the idea was adopted by all levels of society through the years.

Safety

Outdoor Christmas tree lights should be hung with care. Only safety-approved lights and extension cords designed for outdoor use should be used outdoors. Likewise, homeowners should inspect their ladders before climbing on and make sure someone else is outside for help. Finally, anyone using outdoor Christmas lights should replace any blown bulbs each year, inspect all wiring to ensure it's not frayed and avoid placing wires on any sharp objects.

Dangers

While they look beautiful, Christmas tree lights come with a few potential dangers. Many injuries happen before lights even go up due to faulty ladders. In addition, children should never touch the lights due to burn risks. Likewise, faulty wiring can lead to shorts and fires, and many unsuspecting homeowners have been shocked when replacing bulbs while the string of lights was still plugged in. The safety issues are serious enough to warrant care when putting up lights, replacing bulbs and taking lights down at the end of the season.

Time Frame

Thanksgiving weekend is a popular time of year for putting up lights (or even earlier in colder climates when homeowner's don't want to spend hours outside in late November), and most people take their outdoor Christmas lights down in January. However, some people love their outdoor lights so much (or dislike putting them up and taking them down) that they keep them up year-round.

References

• Idea Finde: Christmas Tree Lights
• Do It Yourself.com: Outdoor Christmas Lighting Safety Tips
• Utah State University Cooperative Extension: Tips for safety installing Christmas lights