Christmas lights are the most common decoration for the holidays. And although they make your holidays light up, installing lights comes with risk. Every year, around 15,000 people are injured while hanging up Christmas lights in the US alone. And what is the #1 culprit for these injuries? Ladders not being used correctly or ladders being put on unstable ground.
And this is a serious problem, falls can cause serious injury, or even death.
Of course hiring a professional lighting company is the easiest way to avoid injuring yourself, however, if you’re looking to take a bit of risk this season, we recommend the following tips to ensure your safety and to avoid injuries.
Things To Do Before Hanging
There are several things you need to do before you even start hanging up lights. The first thing you need to consider is the weather. If it’s windy or rainy, do go up on your roof. If it starts getting windy or begins to rain while you’re on the roof, get down immediately and wait until the weather clears up before heading back up.
Ice and snow are 2 major hazards installers face. Try to plan to get your lights hung up earlier in the season before ice and snow covers your roof. If you’re already too late, don’t risk it. Call a professional lighting company or wait until the snow and ice have melted before climbing up. If they don’t melt before the holidays, you’ll just have to wait until next year to hang up your lights. The lights aren’t worth a fall.
Next, before you find yourself on the top of your roof with broken lights, test the light strands by plugging them to an outlet to ensure all lights are working properly. You don’t want to get finished hanging them all up, only to plug them in and see that several bulbs are out. These issues are much easier to fix from the ground.
While Hanging
Besides ladder safety, there are several things you need to consider to stay safe. You’ll need extension cords to get all your lights together in an organized continuous strand. Make sure you’re using a cord that is rated for outside use. You don’t want to get all the lights hung up, only to have the extension cord die on you when the weather gets rough. Extension cords can also be a tripping hazard if they’re left in the open. Make sure you tuck them in a place where they won’t be a tripping hazard.
Ladders
Often, you’ll need to use a ladder to hang up lights. There are a few rules to keep in mind when you’re on a ladder:
- Inspect the ladder before using it to make sure it isn’t damaged.
- Make sure the ladder is tall enough, never stand on the top rungs.
- Make sure the ladder is planted firmly on the ground, and have someone at the bottom of the ladder to make sure it stays in place,
- While you are climbing the ladder, if your stomach brushes against the rungs, the ladder is too steep. Get down and reposition the ladder at more of an angle.
- And do not overstretch yourself as you are hanging lights on the gutter. If you have to lean to either side of the ladder, make sure your waist doesn’t stick out beyond the rungs or you’ll risk the ladder falling to the side.
Christmas lights are beautiful and part of our holiday traditions. Don’t ruin your holiday by falling and getting injured while decorating. These simple safety tips will help keep you injury free. If you want to be extra safe, give Happy Holiday a call to save yourself the headache. We offer free quotes, unlimited re-services, and storage.
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