Filipinos love celebrating Christmas. In fact, we can hear radio stations and even shopping malls play Christmas songs as early as September 1. Installing decorations follow shortly thereafter so everywhere we look, we’ll see Christmas trees, parols, “Merry Christmas” banners, and, of course, the ever-ubiquitous Christmas lights.
We love how these beautiful lights illuminate our Christmas trees, walls, and even our gardens.
There are, however, certain safety measures we should consider as we purchase and use these lights during the holiday season.
1) Buy Christmas lights with ICC sticker.
To ensure that your celebrations will be risk-free, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) warns the public against buying cheap Christmas lights since, in most cases, they do not pass safety standards.
The better option is to buy products with the shiny ICC sticker. ICC, of course, stands for Import Commodity Clearance and having this sticker means the product has been sampled and tested by the Bureau of Philippine Standards.
A full list of approved brands can be found online at www.bps.dti.gov.ph.
2) Choose the right type of Christmas lights.
Some buyers are not aware about this but there are actually two kinds of Christmas lights namely those that are used indoors and outdoors.
The names alone will tell you what each of these varieties are used for but some people still get confused with them. To set the record straight, outdoor Christmas lights can be used both for outdoor and indoor settings since they are perfectly safe even when exposed to rain. Indoor lights, on the other hand, could catch fire as it gets wet.
3) When replacing lamps, disconnect from power supply first.
Whenever you have to replace failed lamps, make sure to disconnect from power supply to avoid accidents. Also, take note that the lamps you use should have the same voltage and wattage as the rest so as to prevent overheating.
You may also watch this report by ABS-CBN for further details about how you and your family can stay safe as you use Christmas lights this holiday season:
Watch the video of Christmas lights Safety Tips (from abs-cbn)