In the Christmas season it is great to see more and more homes bringing colour and light to their neighbourhoods with dramatic Christmas lighting installations celebrating the festive season.
Its important to make sure the lighting you’re using and the way its installed doesn’t cause any electrical or fire hazards.
Worksafe Queensland provides the following helpful tips for ensuring your lighting is safe:
• Use indoor lights indoors and outdoor lights outdoors.
• Buy Australian-compliant Christmas lights (be wary of purchasing non-compliant lights over the internet from overseas).
• Check old Christmas lights before re-using them.
• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Don’t alter or modify lights.
• Ensure all lights, extension leads and power boards are suitable for the intended use (e.g external or internal).
• Test your safety switch and smoke detector to make sure they are working.
• Keep Christmas lights out of reach of children.
• Always turn off decorative lighting before going to bed or leaving your house.
You can read more tips and learn ways to determine if your Christmas lighting is Australian compliant on their website at https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/injury-prevention-safety/electricity/homeowners-and-consumers/use-safe-christmas-lights
We would recommend that if you’re unsure, get a qualified electrician like the experienced team at North Gold Coast Electrical to check your safety switches, smoke detectors and lighting installations for safety and compliance.