Professional Christmas light installation is a great job, and at Holly and Hearth, the occupational safety and health of our employees and vendors is our top priority.
At Holly and Hearth, we have a safety culture to ensure that all our residential and commercial customers and our entire installation team stay safe during the holiday lighting installation and removal process. Holly and Hearth always prioritizes a safety-first culture to ensure that our installers, the property owners, and their guests are adequately and fully protected. Here are our safety tips for professional Christmas light installation:
1. Training and Experience
Ensure that your installation team is well-trained and experienced in working with electrical equipment and climbing ladders. Proper training and experience are essential to minimize accidents.
2. Use the Right Installation Equipment
Ensure that your installation team utilizes professional-grade, high-quality installation equipment, including sturdy ladders, safety harnesses, and tools designed for outdoor electrical work. Avoid using amateur, damaged, or outdated equipment.
3. Inspect Lights
Before installation, a professional installation service should thoroughly inspect all Christmas lights, extension cords, and decorations for any visible damage or exposed wires. Your team should replace any faulty items to prevent electrical hazards to members of your household and your holiday guests during this special season.
4. Monitor Weather Conditions
Your holiday lighting installation team should monitor weather conditions closely. They should stop work or avoid working in extreme weather conditions, such as ice, heavy rain, snow, or strong winds, as they can make installation dangerous. Wet or icy conditions can lead to slips and falls.
5. Use Outdoor GFCI Outlets
Christmas light installers should always use outdoor ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets for connecting your outdoor lighting to electrical power. This helps prevent electrical shocks and fires. If there are no GFCI outlets available, GFCI extension cords should be used.
6. Practice Extension Cord Safety
Your Christmas light installer should not overload extension cords. They should only use cords that are tested, certified, and rated for outdoor use. Make sure that any extension cords used are not pinched or crimped, which could lead to fraying, short circuits, or other safety hazards.
7. Practice Proper Extension Cord Securement
Use extension cord clips or fasteners to secure extension cords and prevent tripping hazards. To eliminate tripping hazards, keep cords away from walkways, driveways, and areas where people or vehicles may pass.
8. Ensure Professional Ladder Safety
Professional Christmas light installation inevitably involves working at heights and therefore, safe ladder operation. When using ladders, your installer should ensure that they are on stable ground, and always maintain three points of contact (both feet and one hand) on the ladder. A professional Christmas light installer should never overreach or stand on the top step.
9. Avoid Overloading Circuits
Professional Christmas light installers are mindful of the electrical load of a given Christmas light installation on the circuit on which it runs. Overloading a circuit can lead to overheating and electrical fires. If necessary, your installer should distribute the load across multiple circuits.
10. Professional Timer Setup and Usage
To control when the lights are on and off, a professional Christmas light installation service will utilize timers. Timers conserve energy while reducing overheating risks.
11. Prevent Fire Hazards
At Holly and Hearth, our installers recommend that you keep lights and decorations away from flammable materials like dry leaves, paper, or fabric. Ensure that your lights remain cool to the touch, which reduces the risk of fire.
12. Properly Mount and Secure Holiday Decorations
Ensure that your installation team uses appropriate clips and fasteners to secure decorations in place, and that decorations remain properly mounted and secured throughout the season. Proper mounting and securement prevents decorations from getting blown away or becoming dislodged during windy weather conditions.
13. Have an Emergency Plan
Professional holiday light installation technicians will always establish an emergency plan in case of accidents or injuries, regardless of whether injuries are minor or severe. They will always know the location of the nearest hospital and have emergency contact numbers available.
14. Hire a Company that’s Fully Licensed, Bonded, and Insured
In addition to having a safety culture prioritizing all facets of holiday lighting and installation safety, professional Christmas light services will have proper contractor licensing, full bonding, and full liability insurance to cover any potential accidents or damages during installation. At Holly and Hearth, we are fully licensed, bonded, and insured, and our contractor license is HOLLYHL774P0. We are fully prepared for your business!
By following these safety guidelines and by fostering safe work environments at all jobsites, our professional Christmas light installers here at Holly and Hearth Lighting can create a festive and safe holiday experience for their clients and maintain a safe working environment for their employees. Safety should always be a top priority when working with electricity and heights.