Occupational Safety: Guidelines for holiday office decorating
By: Steve Djukanovich
November 22nd, 2006
The holidays are here and many of us will decorate our office to add to the joy of the holiday season. When decorating, please keep the following safety guidelines in mind:
- Candles and open flames of any kind are prohibited!
- Artificial trees are strongly preferred over live trees. If you use a live tree, it must be fire proofed and should be kept away from all heat sources, such as radiators, lamps, stoves, appliances.
- Use noncombustible decorating materials for trees and other areas.
- Only use lights that bear Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL) label and are suitable for indoor use.
- Check all light strings before use to ensure the cord or socket is not damaged.
- Light strings should not come in contact with paper, packages, cloth or other combustible materials.
- Avoid using extension cords. If you must us an extension cord, please make sure that it is UL approved and properly sized. In addition, do not connect extension cords to each other and make sure they do not create a tripping hazard.
- Do not overload electrical outlets with extension cords and light cords.
- Keep exits clear of all obstructions.
- Do not attach decorations of any kind to sprinklers or sprinkler system pipes.
- Do not place decorations over exit signs, emergency lights, fire extinguishers and light fixtures.
- Turn off lights at the end of the day and unplug them from the socket.
For more safety information regarding holiday season decorating, the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission publishes alerts that can be accessed at their website.
Have a safe holiday!
Steve Djukanovich, manager of risk management and workers compensation steved@unr.edu.
