Christmas should be a memorable occasion for all involved and it is essential to ensure that it is memorable for all the right reasons. At this time of year many consider purchasing lights and exterior decorations to illuminate their house for the festive season. Many homeowners then attempt to install these electrical decorations without a second thought to ensuring their safety.

Therefore, perhaps it is an ideal time to have a little extra forethought as we prepare for Christmas. The electrical hazards are the same as those that are faced throughout the rest of the year but the risks prove to be far greater.

NAPIT are committed to electrical safety and operate the Competent Persons Scheme register for electricians in the UK.

John Andrews, Chief Executive of NAPIT says: "Every year there are a significant number of fires over the Christmas period linked to faulty lights or their inappropriate use. It seems that for some, safety goes out of the window in favour of creating that 'wow' factor. People need to be reminded to remain vigilant when undertaking electrical work and putting up lights and decorations can be fun, but shock and fire can be devastating, particularly at Christmas."

He continues: "There is a significant risk of an electric shock when someone not used to working with electricity suddenly decides to tackle a major project such as illuminating the exterior of their house. Electricity can kill and this should never be forgotten. If you are unsure of how to carry out the work yourself get professional help as it could cost you your life not just your Christmas."

Here's a reminder of how to celebrate Christmas safely with some useful tips on erecting electrical decorations:

Christmas tree lights -

Have your existing lights checked and maintained well in advance by a competent person. Why in advance? Because it saves having to cut corners and take short cuts with maintenance and repairs. It would be even better to buy new ones, as you will then not be tempted to perform your own 'DIY' electrical repairs. NAPIT Inspectors have witnessed Christmas lamps with foil stuck inside the socket to allow them to work, ad hoc repairs of wires twisted together and bound by insulation tape, as well as multiple plugs in numerous adapters. All of these scenarios result in extremely hazardous situations for all involved.

You should also only purchase lights which have a British Safety Standard Mark (e.g. BS KiteMark), which illustrates that they have passed a rigorous certification process to ensure they are safe to use and fit for the purpose for which they were designed.

When installing lights you should never connect more than one set of lights to a single plug, as well as never running cables under carpets indoors or trail across walkways, where they can be tripped over or damaged.

Indoor decorations -

When pinning up indoor decorations remember there may be hidden wiring behind your walls. To combat this problem you can buy Pipe & Live Wire Detectors to check your walls beforehand at most DIY stores. Also be careful whilst working at heights, you should not stand on chairs or tables, make sure you use appropriate steps or ladders and always get somebody to help. You should also be careful to avoid overstretching and watch out for trailing wires and bunting.

Trees -

Make sure your tree is fastened securely to a fixed wall if it is top heavy, especially if you have small children or animals. If you are putting a large tree up in the same place each year then consider installing secured fixtures. If you are erecting a large tree outside and it requires staking, then make sure that you check for underground cables and pipe work beforehand.

Outside decorations -

It is essential that you consider the effects of bad weather. High winds and storms are to be expected, so all fixtures, fittings and wiring must be checked before use and replaced if necessary. You should only use lights outside where the manufacturer has implicitly stated they are designed for exterior use. When using a timer to control lights outside, make sure it is designed for exterior use or, better still, install it inside the home. Extra Low Voltage systems are also strongly recommended for outdoors decorations.

For all electrical systems outdoors, always use a protective device called a Residual Current Device (RCD) to provide extra protection against electric shock. An RCD can be purchased as a plug for circuits that do not have this level of protection permenantly fitted and these will trip the electric supply if it finds a fault in the circuit. These can be purchased from most DIY stores.

A transformer is also highly recommended. This is a device that scales down the voltage from the dangerous 230V level down to the much safer 6V, 12V or 24V level. However, you should only use the transformer supplied by the manufacturer for Extra Low Voltage systems. It is of the utmost importance that you DO NOT interchange transformers, as this could cause overheating, and may create a fire risk. If using a mains rated system (230V), only use the fuse size recommended by the manufacturer (usually 3A). Some lighting chains are not intended to be connected to other lighting chains, check for a warning notice to make sure.

NAPIT runs a competent persons scheme for electricians, for more details please visit: http://www.napit.org.uk.

So have a good Christmas and a great New Year and make it a safe one!

Notes to Editor

Operational since 1992 NAPIT, The National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers, was formed as a Trade Association for Electrical Inspectors. NAPIT is now a government approved register holder for contractors within the electrical, ventilation, plumbing and heating industries to meet the building regulations in England and Wales.