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The 'Trick' Is to 'Treat' Your Halloween Decorations with Care
by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.

With Halloween the most decorated holiday following Christmas, there are a wide variety of electrical decorations available that range from jack-o-lanterns to elaborate illuminated figurines of witches and ghosts and pumpkin light strings. While these decorations are a "treat" to look at, it is important to use and exhibit them properly in order to reduce the risk of accidental shock, fire or other injury.

No matter which decorations you use to trick and treat your guests this year, remind your friends and loved ones that Halloween will be even more fun and safe if they use their decorations properly. Electrical decorations such as light strings and animated figures can certainly be enjoyed; however, they should be displayed with the utmost care. The safety professionals at Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) offer the following tips and precautions when decorating:

• Use light strings and animated or electrical decorations that bear the UL mark. The UL mark on a product means that UL engineers have tested representative samples of the product for foreseeable safety hazards such as fire and electric shock.

• Electrical decorations, such as illuminated pumpkins, that have been tested by UL bear holographic UL marks -- easily identified by their silver base and UL marks that appear to "float" in the background. Holographic UL marks for light strings designed solely for indoor use bear green UL marks, and light strings for both indoor and/or outdoor use are identified by red UL Marks.

• Before you begin decorating, your first step should be to read and follow the manufacturer's instructions concerning installation and maintenance of the electrical decorations you'll be using.

• Before plugging in newly purchased electrical decorations, or those you've used previously, carefully inspect each decoration. Cracked sockets; frayed, loose, or bare wires; and loose connections may cause a serious electric shock or start a fire. Replace damaged items with new, UL listed decorations.

• Always unplug a light string or electrical decoration before replacing light bulbs or fuses. Check the instructions to determine which maintenance the manufacturer recommends you perform. In most cases, maintenance is limited to fuse and lamp replacement only. Don't attempt to make a repair unless the instructions indicate the proper procedure and equipment for doing so. Decorations may overheat or safety mechanisms may not operate properly if you use replacement parts other than those specified by the manufacturer.

• Don't mount or support light strings in any way that might damage the cord's wire insulation.

• Check the markings on your electrical decorations to determine the maximum number of decorative lights (light strings) and decorations that may be connected together. If the product packaging does not indicate the number of light strings that may be connected together, practice this rule of thumb: do not connect more than three light string sets together.

• Don't overload extension cords -- it could cause the cord to overheat and start a fire.

• Don't allow children or pets to play with light strings or other electrical decorations. These decorations aren't toys and could produce a deadly electric shock if they are misused.

• Turn off all electrical light strings and decorations before leaving home or going to bed.

• Make sure your home is equipped with working smoke alarms and fire extinguishers that bear the UL mark. Don't forget to install, test, and maintain these devices in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) is a private, not-for-profit organization that has evaluated products, materials, and systems in the interest of public safety for more than 100 years. For more information on UL's seasonal safety campaigns, visit UL's website at http://www.ul.com.

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