Safety First

Electricity powers modern life, but it is dangerous if not handled carefully. Check back here each month for new tips on how to stay safe around electric power at your home or business.

Halloween decor has come a long way. Simple spiderweb strands and ghostly sheets are overshadowed by inflated, flashing, fog-spewing, animated haunts requiring a maze of extension cords. Here are some tricks from the National Fire Protection Association to ensure those displays are safe:

• Make sure every item to be plugged in is listed by a qualified testing laboratory, such as UL or Intertek, and rated for outdoor use.
• Outdoor devices need ground fault circuit interrupter protection, either via an outdoor GFCI outlet or the use of an inline GFCI cord set, to prevent electric shock.
• Use only extension cords rated for outdoor use.
• Check older extension cords for fraying, broken cord ends, and missing grounding blades. If damage is found, get rid of the cord.
• Make sure all cords are safely routed away from where trick-or-treaters will walk.