01 December 2003 00:00 Safely lighting the way this Christmas

For children and adults alike, decorating the tree is often the highlight of the Christmas festivities so East Midlands Electricity (EME) is sending out a special festive safety message.

According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) around 300 accidents a year are caused by faulty Christmas tree lights but incidents can often be prevented with a little care.

Jerry Carnell, Safety Adviser at East Midlands Electricity, said: “Please take care when putting up your Christmas tree this year.

“By taking a few simple precautions before the tree goes up, you can prevent potentially fatal accidents and get on with having a great holiday.”

EME urges people to keep in mind some key points:

General safety information
• When buying lights make sure they conform to the appropriate standard – BSEN 60598 – and carry a CE mark;
• Before putting lights up, check that the wires or bulbs are not damaged in any way;
• Check that all bulbs are fitted correctly and in working order;
• Don’t overload electrical circuits, sockets or extension leads.
Indoor lights
• Always turn off tree lights before going to bed or leaving the house;
• Don’t let tree decorations or presents touch the lights;
• Make sure the plug is wired correctly, isn’t damaged and is fitted with a 3-amp fuse;
• Place trees close to a plug socket to avoid the need for trailing wires or extension leads.
Outdoor lights
• Never use indoor Christmas tree lights outside – buy ones that are specifically designed for outside use;
• Use a plug in Residual Current Device (RCD), you can buy these at most DIY stores – this will instantly cut off electricity if a fault occurs;
• Ensure lights are out of reach of children and that they are well away from pathways where they may cause a hazard;
• Where possible, buy reduced voltage lights – these will come with a transformer to bring down the operating voltage down to a safe level.

For free information and advice please see our website www.eme.co.uk. Also children can have a look at the special website we’ve created just for them at www.powerdiscoveryzone.com.

ENDS

Notes to Editors
The EME region covers Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire and also parts of Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire covering around 2.4 million customers.

For further information contact:
Emily Highmore on 024 7642 4292