Holiday Safety

The Holidays are here again! Stillwater Electric Utility wants to make sure you and your loved ones enjoy this wondeful season as safely as possible. Look for below for some great tips on staying safe with electricity during these Holidays.

Indoors:

• Examine each strand for damage before use, Frayed or exposed wire could cause injury or a fire.
• Do not place cords under a rug or mat, this can cause damage to the wires.
• Don’t use outdoor lights indoors.
• Make sure to turn off all decorations when leaving the home or going to bed.
• Do not connect more than 3 strands of end-to-end lights together, this is a potential fire hazard.
• Don’t use heating vents or hot plates to dry damp winter clothes; this could result in a fire.
• Make sure your outlets are free of obstructions and not hard to reach, you never know when you may need to unplug something quickly.
• Make sure replacement bulbs are the same voltage as the strand, improper voltage can cause overheating or a fire.
• Avoid situations that cause overly tight strands of lights or power cords, as this can cause loose connections or even damage to the wire. Try a different outlet if possible.
• Be careful running wires through doors or windows. Doors and windows can pinch the wires, causing damage to the insulation and exposing bare wire.
• High traffic areas are not the place for wires, placing them there could result in personal injury.
• Artificial trees should bear the UL label. Check the label or box for instructions. Some trees have a limit on the number of years that fireproofing is guaranteed.
• If your tree is metal, do not decorate it with lights, use spotlights or some other form of lighting.
• If you have a plastic tree, make sure it is made out of a fire resistant/retardant material.

Outdoors:

• Outdoor lights and lighted decorations should only be used with ground fault enabled outlets, to avoid electrical shock and injury.
• Don’t use indoor lights outdoors.
• Outdoor lights should be clearly identified by the manufacturer as safe for outside use.
• Take your lights down after each holiday season, they are not designed for year-round exposure.

Toys:

• All electric toys should be labeled with the UL label of approval, if you don’t see it, don’t trust it!
• Check for small parts and that the toy is appropriate for the age of the child.
• Make sure to use fresh, quality batteries.
• Do not swap batteries of different brands or ages, when replacing, replace them all.