As the festive season continues, it is customary for many to purchase and install their decorative lights once the house cleaning is completed. As homeowners, it is important that you be mindful when installing your seasonal indoor and outdoor lighting. To ensure everything goes according to plan, as with any electrical outfit, decorative lights need to be properly installed to guarantee the safety of your family and home.
Under its Product Compliance Department, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) monitors Decorative Lighting according to the requirements of the National Standard for Seasonal and Holiday Products – GYS 232:2017 for compliance with labelling and quality requirements for consumer safety.
We can all agree that colourful festive lighting goes a long way to enhance our dwelling spaces, providing us with the feelings of excitement and joy that come with the holiday season. However, there are some things that users should consider when buying and installing safer lighting, and the GNBS, as a consumer protection body, takes this opportunity to share these tips with you.
Firstly, be on the lookout for the safety approval mark. It is illegal in many countries to sell decorative lights without the necessary safety approval because they must be tested for safety and approved for use by any recognised independent testing and certification body.
When using lighting outdoors, it is imperative to never use indoor lights outside because the insulation on the wires is unsuitable for wet and windy weather and may result in fires, electric shocks and/or injuries. Further, always ensure you weatherproof your extension leads with accessories that cover and protect plugs and use extra low voltage lights (12V or 24V), especially for fences, roofs and downpipes.
If you are considering re-using lights from a previous occasion, when retrieving them from storage, ensure they are free of defects such as damaged wires, burnt-out bulbs, or loose connections.
Meanwhile, for new lights a few safety actions are necessary; lay them out and ensure bulbs are not loose or missing, plug them in temporarily to see that all bulbs are working, and always remember to unplug lights from the power source before swapping out damaged bulbs. Use new bulbs of the same type and wattage to avoid the lights overheating, which could cause a fire.
When mounting your lights, keep them away from paper, cardboard, curtains, metal foils and other flammable items to minimize the risk of accidental fires, especially if you want to leave them plugged in overnight. Always ensure you use plastic clips or hooks to mount decorative lights – never use metal pins, nails, or staples.
In addition, joining strings of light is risky. Do not connect one set of lights to another, unless it is designed for the purpose because connecting lighting sets can cause circuit overloading.
Finally, to practice and promote safety, always turn lights off when you are retiring to bed; do not attempt to alter or make modifications to the lights; fully unwind any extension cords to prevent overheating; and test your safety switches regularly.
You can do several other things to make your festive lighting better and the installation and mounting process easier. The GNBS encourages homeowners and users to enjoy their seasonal décor, safely.
For further information on this subject, please contact the GNBS on Telephone Numbers: 219-0064-66, WhatsApp 692-GNBS (4627) or follow us on Facebook #GNBSGY.
