How to avoid injuries when hanging Christmas lights?

The holiday season is approaching fast, and Christmas is just around the corner. It is about time to head into storage and get out those knotted together strands of Christmas Lights, why are they knotted AGAIN? Christmas is a fun-filled time, and there is nothing much prettier than a decorated house in the winter. Unfortunately, it can be such a hassle, not only is it time consuming, it is also incredibly dangerous. Hanging Christmas lights is one of the largest contributors of injuries during the holidays. Electrical shock and falling are just a couple of the severe injuries that could be sustained when hanging up your holiday lights. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, on average, there are about 160 decorating-related injuries each day during the holiday season, with almost half of the incidents involving falls. In the 2019 holiday season, about 14,800 people were treated in emergency rooms due to holiday decorating-related injuries. Preventing becoming a part of one of those statistics is important and here are a few tips on how to avoid injuries like those during the holidays:

Take Proper Precautions

Never work alone

Accidents happen to even the most prepared professionals. Never working alone ensures that someone will be there as a second pair of eyes to spot unsafe situations and to get help from the correct professionals if something happens.

Check your ladder Make sure the ladder is secure and braced at all times

Make sure that none of the rungs are broken or damaged and that you do not exceed the ladders recommended weight limit. Wipe off the rungs, working in the winter can cause your ladders rungs to be slippery. Once that is done, check that the ladder is secure and braced at all times. When you are needing to climb up to the roof a partner should remain on the ground to ensure the security of the ladders position.

Move the ladder

Yeah, you may be able to reach it without having to go down the ladder one more time, but DON'T. Using a high-quality ladder, setting it to the appropriate height for the job, and moving the ladder as frequently as you need to and avoiding overreaching will help prevent ladder related injuries during your holiday light installation.

Avoid hanging lights in icy, or inclement conditions

Ladder and roof work is dangerous on a bright, sunny day but add in inclement conditions that come with the holiday season and you have a recipe for disaster.

Don't hang Christmas lights at night, without proper illumination

No, the lights that you are going to be plugging in do not count as "proper illumination." Without adequate lighting, accidents are bound to happen. Always try to hang Christmas lights during the day, where there is plenty of visibility. If you do need to squeeze in an install after dark, make sure that you have spotlights lighting up the area and at least one additional person. Preferably one person not focused on finishing the project but that is designated to ensuring that you are following safety procedures.

Hire A Professional

Hanging Christmas lights on your own, is not for everyone. Leave the heavy lifting to the professionals. While hanging lights may not seem like a skilled trade to some, there are people trained and equipped with the skill set to deal with all potential dangerous situations. These highly skilled professional Christmas Light Installers are prepared to handle all of the dangerous stuff, and will study the map of your property, listen to your desires, and provide you with options that will best suit your home. A professional job also means a professional look for your home or business, which will deliver the best holiday cheer to every passerby.