Energex is urging people installing traditional Christmas lighting around their homes to ensure they do it safely.
Area Manager at Energex, Trevor King said Christmas lights were essentially an electrical appliance and should be treated with the same level of caution as any other powered devices in the home.
“What people should remember when setting up Christmas lights and other mains-powered decorations is they are working with electricity and it can be dangerous if the appliance is faulty or care isn’t taken,” Mr King said.
“With this in mind, we’re urging the community to check their decorations for faults or frayed cords before plugging them in and, if they have any concerns, have them checked by a qualified electrician or throw them away,” he said.
Mr King said people buying new lights or electronic decorations should ensure they met Australian safety standards which should be displayed on the packaging.
“Quality lights are only marginally more expensive, but can help prevent electrical hazards and other issues such as house fires,” he said.
“We’re also asking people to ensure if they’re using powered decorations outside that they are rated for outdoor use.
“If indoor-only rated lights get wet, they can cause serious electric issues.”
The Area Manager said that, in the past, crews had noticed people placing decorations, lights included, on Energex’s equipment, which could not only endanger those installing them, but also crews who had to work on them.
“Each Christmas we’ve seen everything from Christmas lights to inflatable Santas tied to our power-poles, padmount transformers and other equipment,” he said.
“Our crews love Christmas decorations as much as the next person, but those placing them on our network may not only inadvertently put themselves at risk because when our crews need to access the equipment it causes another hazard for them,” Mr King said.
