18 — Friday, December 18, 1992 — N

orth Shore News

HOME & GARDEN
Remember to

observe

safety

at Christmas

SEASON’S SAFETY greet-
ings from all the members
of the District of North
Vancouver Fire Services.

The holiday season brings much
joy and excitement. Preparing for
this busy time of the year, don't
Jet this harried pace jeopardize
important safety concerns around
your home. Please remember these
Christmas safety precautions.

Outdoor lighting
* Use only CSA (Canadian
Standards Association)-certified
light strings and cords that are
marked for outdoor use.
® Turn off the electricity to the
supply outlet before working with
outdoor wiring.
® Use insulated tape, not metal
nails or tacks, to hold strings of
outdoor lights in place. Don’t tape
cords over, under or along metal
eavestroughs.
© Ensure that no lights hang di-
rectly in contact with shake roofs
or any. material which is fiam-
mable. :

. ® Run all outdoor cords above
ground, keeping them out of
puddles and snow.
© Hang lights with the bulb poin-
ting downwards to prevent
moisture from entering the bulb
sockets.
® Plug ali outdoor lighting into
receptacies protected by a ground
fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). A
GFCI provides instant protection
from electric shock, as it senses
leakage current to ground and
cuts electrical power before any
damage can be done.
© Use only light strings, bulb
reflectors, electrically lit decora-
tions and extension cords that
bear the CSA label.
© Examine light strings carefully
before reusing them each year.
Discard any that have frayed
cords, cracks in the lampholders
or. loose connections.
® Check that bulb reflectors are
the right size for the light string
and that they have insulation,
consisting of either plastic or
other non-metallic material, be-
tween the lamp and the metal part

[6th Annivers

HOT TIPS

North Vancouver
District Fire Department

of the reflector.

© When replacing burni-out
lights, unplug the light string be-
fore replacing the bulb. Check the
light string package to make sure
your replacement bulb has the
same voltage/wattage as the orig-
inal light.

¢ Avoid using extension cords to
plug in lights, since they can pres-
ent a tripping hazard. Don't run
electrical cords under rugs. :

® Turn light strings off when you
leave the room or the house.

© Use decorations that are flame-
résistant or non-combustible.

© Never use electrical decorations
on a metal or aluminum tree.
These trees can be illuminated by
a colorful spotlight — recom-
mended by the manufacturer —
placed at a distance from the tree.
® Children should not play with
electrically operated toys, such as
race car. sets, directly under the
tree.

® Before you buy a tree, test for
freshness by tapping the base of
the tree on the ground or pulling
lightly on a limb. If many needles
fall off or needles can be easily
pulled off, the tree is too dry.

© When you are ready to mount
your tree, trim two inches off the
stem of the tree diagonally so it
can absorb water.

Then mount it securely in a
large reservoir stand which should
have widespread legs so that it
won’t tip over,

* Keep your tree moist. Your tree
stand should contain at least two
gallons (or about 7.5 litres) of
water to start with, then you
should add water each day, always
keeping the water level of the res-
ervoir above the cut.

e If you have small children or
pets, hang only unbreakable or-
naments and avoid hanging tinsel
and other trimmings or decora-
tions that look like food on the
lower branches.

ary Special

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