Holiday Decorating Safety Tips

The holidays are right around the corner. But before you start hanging Christmas lights and setting up your holiday decorations, PNM wants to make sure you stay safe while getting into the holiday spirit. We¿re bringing back our 12 Days of Holiday Safety tips to help you get festive without any fuss: 

1. Consider purchasing LED lights. They use less energy and run cooler than traditional incandescent lights.
2. Use caution when decorating outdoors near power lines. Keep yourself and your equipment at least 10 feet away from power lines.
3. Use wooden or fiberglass ladders when decorating outdoors. Avoid metal ladders which conduct electricity. 
4. Do not place extension cords where they could create a tripping hazard, like doorways.
5. Inspect all electrical decorations for damage before use. Damaged cords can cause a serious shock or can start a fire.
6. Decorations without a label from an independent testing laboratory like Underwriters Laboratories (UL) have not been tested for safety and may be hazardous.
7. Avoid overloading electrical outlets. Only plug one high-wattage appliance into each outlet.
8. Protect electrical cords from damage. Cords should never be pinched by furniture, forced into small spaced, placed under rugs, located near heat sources, or attached by nails or staples.
9. Turn off all indoor and outdoor electrical decorations before leaving home or going to sleep.
10. When considering electronic toys for children, be sure to reach the manufacturer¿s instructions and warning labels. Decide if the toy is appropriate for the child¿s age group and whether adult supervision is required.
11. Keep all extension cords and light strings away from snow and standing water.
12. Always unplug electrical decorations before replacing bulbs of fuses.

We hope you have a safe and happy holiday season!