Tag: safety

Electrical Safety: Indoor Holiday Decorations

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electrical safety during the holidays

While indoor holiday decorations are fun and festive, they can also pose a danger to your home if they are not handled properly. One little mishap with a worn-out wire or an outlet and you might be dealing with electrical fires or shocks. Luckily, the pros at Roman Electric are here to help you out. Here is a quick guide to electrical safety during the holidays so you can have a safe and restful break!

1. Indoor Lights Should Not Be Near Curtains

Indoor lights are creative and fun and add to the holiday ambiance you want in your home. However, it is important to keep these lights away from drapes, curtains and any kind of flammable items—especially if these lights have incandescent bulbs. Incandescent bulbs can heat up easily, increasing the chance of something in your home catching fire. If you’re tired of this risk with incandescent bulbs, try making the switch to LED bulbs! LED’s last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs and use 75% less energy! They also don’t radiate heat and if you purchase LEDs with epoxy lenses, they aren’t prone to shattering either.

2. Discard Frayed Cords

Keep any eye out for any lights or decorations with frayed or worn-out cords. While it might not seem like a big deal, frayed cords can lead to the live wire being exposed. This poses a serious danger to users as it increases risk of electrocution and electrical fires. It’s not worth it to use frayed cords—if you find several parts of the indoor light cords are frayed and exposed, it is best to discard them. In addition to looking out for frayed cords, making sure none of the bulbs are cracked or broken.

3. Choose Battery Operated Candles

Unless you’re using the Christmas or holiday themed scented candles, it is best to use battery operated candles for decoration purposes. Actual candles look nice, but they are risky, especially if they are placed near flammable items. Battery operated candles are safe, affordable and achieve the same effect!

4. Check for Underwriters Laboratory Sign

Before you purchase indoor lights and decorations, make sure to check for the “UL” sign on the packaging—this sign indicates that the lights have been approved by the Underwriters Laboratory and are safe to use whether it is indoors or outdoors. The Red UL sign indicates that the lights are safe to be used indoors and outdoors and the green UL sign marks that the lights are only safe for outdoor use.

5. Use Clips Instead of Nails

Instead of hammering the cords in with nails or thumb tacks, use clips or adhesive hooks. This way you can ensure your lights are hung properly and are in place without damaging the cords.

Practice Electrical Safety During the Holidays with Roman Electric!

We hope this guide to electrical safety during the holidays is helpful! If you want more electrical safety tips, get in touch with the pros at Roman Electric! Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule a service with us on our website!

Halloween Safety Tips

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There’s nothing quite like the excitement you feel before going out trick-or-treating on Halloween. The chatter of the anxious kids, the smells of the fall air and the spooky sounds coming from different houses all create a truly one-of-a-kind environment.

But just like any other event, it’s imperative to stay safe and observe proper precautions to ensure you have a fun and happy Halloween. With so many people out and about, you’d hate to have something go awry in the hustle and bustle of trick-or-treating. Here are a few tips from Roman Electric to keep in mind!

Don’t Go Alone

As we mentioned above, there are bound to be a lot of people out going door-to-door to get all the candy they can. And because everyone’s dressed up in costumes, losing someone in the hubbub is far too easy.

Be sure to always go with a buddy! That way you’ll know if someone accidentally got mixed up and won’t get lost.

Use Something to Help Drivers See You

Even though everyone’s out in the streets, drivers still have to use the roads to get places. When it gets dark, they can have a hard time seeing you if you’ve got a darker-colored costume on.

Help them out by affixing costumes with reflective tape or some other shiny surface so that they’ll be able to see you at night.

Observe Street Safety

Despite the crowds, you still need to adhere to basic street safety rules. Look both ways when crossing the street and be sure to only cross when you reach an intersection instead of darting across the road.

When you’re walking around, be sure to only walk on sidewalks. Although it’s tempting to walk in the road, avoid the potential trouble and just stay safely away from traffic.

Test Halloween Makeup Beforehand

Lots of costumes aren’t complete until you apply makeup. However, there’s a chance you might be allergic to the ingredients in whatever makeup you use.

Avoid this potential problem by testing it on a smaller area before the big night. That way you’ll be able to know if it will lead to any complications without risking an allergic reaction.

Make Sure an Adult Accompanies the Crowd

The kids won’t be as keen to the idea of having a grown-up tag along, but it’ll safeguard against any trouble the group might run into over the course of the night.

Let an adult (or two) keep watch over the trick-or-treaters so they can grab all the candy they want without a worry!

Keep an Eye on the Ground

Although most people get their properties ready for Halloween, not everyone does. Some people leave hoses, tools or other loose objects laying around their homes, and a wayward child can trip over them if they’re not careful!

Keep your eyes peeled so this doesn’t happen to you or someone in your group.

Halloween is a fun night – don’t let an easily avoidable problem get in the way of the trick-or-treating festivities! We at Roman Electric love the holidays, and we want all of our neighbors to stay safe and sound during the festivities.

Give us a call at 414-369-3798 for last-minute Halloween lighting solutions or any other electrical, HVAC or scary plumbing problem – we’re glad to help