How do you use festive lights safely?

Christmas lights safety: before you hang them

Whether you decorate for Christmas, Deepavali or Chinese New Year, check your festive lights before they go up. Lay each string out in good light and look along the whole cable, including the plug.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) includes a household fire safety checklist in its Civil Defence Emergency Handbook. Two of its questions fit decorations: do all controlled goods, such as 3-pin plugs, multiway adaptors and portable socket outlets, have the SAFETY Mark, and are all wires in good condition, without broken insulation or exposed wiring? It also asks whether wires are laid in the open, with none running under rugs or through door openings. SCDF says that if you answer No to any question, you should rectify it as soon as possible.

In practice:

• Set aside any string with a cut, a crushed section or bare wire showing.
• Check that the plug and any adaptor you plan to use carry the SAFETY Mark.
• Plan a cable route clear of rugs, door openings and walkways.

The Consumer Product Safety Office (CPSO) lists 33 categories of household electrical, electronic and gas appliances and accessories as Controlled Goods, which must carry the SAFETY Mark before they can be sold in Singapore. Each mark has a unique 8-digit registration number. CPSO explains how to check it on the Register of Registered Controlled Goods: enter the model number or the 8-digit number, then confirm that the mark has not expired and that the product details match. Read more in SAFETY Mark explained.

Do not overload the sockets

During the festivals, lights and appliances often run at once from the nearest socket. CPSO warns that overloading wall socket outlets can cause fire hazards, and suggests you consider installing additional socket outlets if you need them.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) says overloading power points may lead to over-heating and start a fire. Its electrical safety advice is not to piggy-back multiple plugs into one socket with double adaptors, and not to use cracked or broken power points or extension sockets. EMA says damaged ones should be replaced by a Licensed Electrical Worker (LEW).

SCDF's fire safety at home leaflet gives the same message: avoid overloading electrical outlets, and switch off appliances when not in use. For decorations, that means switching the lights off when you go out and before bed.

Candles, oil lamps and decorations

Open flames often sit close to decorations during the festivals, from candles on a dining table to oil lamps set out with Deepavali lights by the door. SCDF's Civil Defence Emergency Handbook advises:

• Keep lighted candles away from paper or cardboard decorations, curtains and furnishings.
• Use stable candle holders on a heat-resistant surface.
• Keep lighters, matches and candles away from children.
• Adults should closely supervise children playing with sparklers, lit at arm's length.
• Do not place curtains or combustible materials near praying altars or lighted materials.

SCDF's household checklist also asks whether candles and oil lamps are on a stable surface, and whether matches, lighters and sparklers are kept away from heat sources and children.

Plan the layout before you light anything. Keep paper lanterns, tinsel and fabric decorations clear of every flame, do not drape light strings near a candle or oil lamp, and put flames out before you leave the room or go to bed.

Corridors and outdoor decorations

The common corridor is also an escape route. SCDF's fire safety at home leaflet says to keep a clear corridor passageway of at least 1.2m and to avoid discarding items along corridors, lift lobbies and staircases. Any decorations or light strings you add outside your door must leave that clear width. Our guide to HDB corridor rules has more.

When to call an electrician

Call an electrician if:

• A plug or adaptor feels hot or shows scorch marks.
• The residual current circuit breaker (RCCB) keeps tripping when the lights are on.
• You need more sockets for your decorations.

As a practical step, switch off or unplug the lights, then push the tripped switch back up once. If it trips again straight away, leave it off and call a Licensed Electrician.

EMA lists adding power points such as socket-outlets as work that an LEW should carry out or supervise. EMA says electrical work in an HDB flat needs a Licensed Electrician, the class of LEW approved for loads of up to 45kVA. Check the worker's licence card before any work starts, as EMA advises.

If you notice a burning smell from a socket, do not use that socket until it has been checked. Use our home fire safety checklist, or compare electricians.

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