Light Safety

Of the more than 2200 injuries from holiday decorations treated in hospital emergency rooms across the nation last year, one- third were from Christmas lights, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports.

To ensure a happy and safe holiday season, CPSC urges consumers to take a few minutes to examine and test their Christmas lights before plugging them in or wiring their trees.

By following a few basic safety precautions, consumers can reduce the risk of fire or electric shock from defective lights. Here are some tips:

--Look for broken or cracked sockets on each light set. Discard the set if any are found.

--Carefully inspect the interior of every light socket. If properly constructed, each socket contains two metal electrical contacts--one mounted horizontally across the inside base of the socket and the other standing vertically along the inside wall. If both contacts are positioned vertically, the set is defective and should be discarded since it could create a serious fire hazard by shorting out the bulb and socket, or overheating the wires.

--Look for frayed wires, loose connections and exposed, bare wires. Repair or discard sets showing any of these potential trouble spots.

--Examine each light bulb for improper assembly signaled by a wire strand protruding from the soldered tip at the bulb's base. If these wires are detected, consumers can safely repair the defect by cutting the wire close to the soldered tip. The bulbs should then be safe for use.

--Careful handling of lights while unpacking, decorating, or repacking will reduce the chance of damaging a good set of lights.

Consumers who have purchased a defective light set should contact CPSC's toll-free hotline at 800/638-2772.