Keep Santa safe at Christmas with Voltec Maintenance Electricians

As the holiday season is approaching, you’re probably getting ready to pull out the Christmas lights and start decorating. While decorating your home or workplace is one of the best parts about Christmas, it’s also important to consider the electrical safety of any lights or other electrical decorations.

Christmas Lights Test and Tag for Businesses

The best way to ensure the safety of electrical decorations is to carry out an electrical PAT test. While there is no definite legal requirement to carry out electrical PAT test on Christmas lights and electrical decorations, it is important that the business owner ensures the safety of all persons using their premises. It is, however, a requirement that all extension leads, and power boards are regularly checked by an electrical testing company like Voltec Maintenance.

The Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 sets out specific requirements about electrical equipment and installations at a workplace. The regulation covers some of the minimum requirements including:

• Protecting extension leads and flexible cables from damage
• Not using double adaptors and piggyback plugs to do certain work
• Regularly testing and tagging extension cords

So, do Christmas lights need to be electrical PAT tested? It is still a good idea to have an electrician test and tag your electrical Christmas decorations to ensure the safety of the staff and visitors at the premises.

Read our blog to learn more about Commonly Asked Questions about Electrical Testing.

Top Tips for Electrical Safety from Your Local Electrical Testing Company

So, before you get started with decorating, check out these safety tips to keep your holidays bright, merry, and carefree.

Purchase quality Christmas lights

When possible, try to purchase Christmas lighting that is compliant in Australia. If you buy lighting online from overseas that doesn’t meet the Australian standards, it could result in fires, electric shock, or electrocution.

Inspect electrical decorations to see if they need an electrician to test and tag

Before you string your lights on the Christmas tree or hang them outside, make sure they are functioning properly and in good condition. Here are a few things to look out for:

• Check the cord and ensure there are no wires exposed
• Stretch the lights out completely and check for any frayed or cracked wires and sockets without bulbs
• Make sure you aren’t using lights for indoor use outside. Indoor lights aren’t insulated like outdoor lights and can become quite dangerous if they come in contact with moisture.

If you find that your lights are damaged and don’t look safe, it’s time to throw them out to avoid shorting and causing a fire. Alternatively, our team can conduct an electrical PAT test to see if they’re worth saving and are safe for use.

Want to learn more about Voltec Maintenance electricians, your local electrical testing company? Contact us today. 

Avoid running lights 24/7

It’s a good idea to turn off all electrical decorations before going to bed or leaving the house to save power and prevent possible overheating. Alternatively, you could also plug the decorations into a timer or light sensor, so they turn on and off automatically. Christmas lights can generate a considerable amount of heat, so make sure you keep the lights clear of any flammable materials.

Don’t overload power boards and extension leads – Electrical PAT Test

Ensure all extension leads and power boards are appropriate for your intended use. Christmas lights generally don’t use too much power; however, old extension cords and power boards can still overheat. If you do need to use power boards and extension leads, don’t overload them, and distribute your lights among multiple extension cords and power boards if needed. Some additional tips to remember include:

• Avoid using double adaptors
• Avoid plugging high wattage appliances into power boards
• Purchase power boards with overload protection
• Regularly check your equipment for signs of damage
• Make sure extension leads are out of the way to avoid tripping
• Don’t place extension leads under rugs to avoid overheating

If you are unsure whether your power boards and extension leads are safe, it’s best to get an electrical PAT test completed. Our team at Voltec Maintenenace are Townsville’s leading electrician test and tag business and we can help with all your electrical testing needs.

Store your electrical decorations correctly

There’s nothing harder to find than the motivation to pull down all the lights and decorations once Christmas is over. However, once they’re taken down, remember to store your lights in a sealed container with cords wrapped properly. This will prevent any moisture getting in and they will be easy to unravel for next year.

Why choose Voltec Maintenance Electricians?

As Christmas is just around the corner, a few checks in place can help eliminate any factors that may affect the electrical safety in your home. At Voltec Maintenance, our electricians are fully qualified and hold all necessary licences to perform electrical test and tag business services. If you are interested in finding out more about our Christmas electrical safety tips, or would simply like to learn more about the electrical services we offer, please contact us today.