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Enel Distribución provides recommendations to avoid electrical accidents during the year-end holidays
Published on Wednesday, 11 December 2024
- In December 2023, the company received 53 alerts for incidents associated with handling Christmas decorations. The figure represents a decrease compared to the previous year. However, efforts are still needed to reach a zero accident rate, so the company stresses the importance of self-care.
Santiago, December 11, 2024 - Many families prepare their homes to celebrate Christmas by putting up a tree and decorating their houses with lights and accessories for the end-of-year festivities. However, care and preventive measures should not be overlooked, especially those related to possible fires and electrocutions caused by bad electrical connections. Every year, there are cases of children and adults who suffer burns or electrocutions when handling lights or sockets.
In December 2023, Enel Distribución received 53 calls about electrical accidents due to overloading inside homes, resulting in fires or the outset of fires. The figure represents a decrease compared to 2022, which shows a greater awareness of the risks associated with improper handling of Christmas decorations. However, there is still a lack of effort to avoid holiday incidents or accidents.
Enel carries out a preventive campaign called "Safe Christmas" every year to call for prevention and self-care based on recommendations to avoid electrical accidents during the holidays, such as using certified lights, preferring garlands with thick wire, or decorating trees in outdoor gardens.
"Every year, we encourage good practices so that families decorating their homes for Christmas can take the necessary precautions and avoid electrical hazards. Although the figures have improved compared to previous years, and we see greater awareness of this issue, we must still redouble our care to avoid these risks and reach a zero accident rate, so we reiterate the call for self-care to enjoy the holidays safely. Incorrect installations or installations with non-standard elements, or without the appropriate safety elements, can increase the risks of electrocution and fire, also endangering the community's electricity supply", said Francisco Messen, Enel Distribución's Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality Manager.
Enel Distribución seeks to raise people's awareness and provide the necessary information to prevent and reduce electrical accidents, risks of electrocution, and fires inside homes that can be caused by using Christmas arrangements, sockets, triples, extension cords, light bulbs, and garlands, among others, without taking the necessary precautions.
It is essential to point out that manipulating non-certified Christmas decorations -inside and outside the houses- besides causing possible electrocutions or fires also endangers the community's electricity supply, especially when trying to hang garlands, using wiring poles and power lines as support. In fact, 35 failures associated with this were recorded in December last year.
Enel Distribución also calls on the public not to use the so-called fancy flares - "cotillion" or "metal mesh" - near electrical networks and installations, as these could impact the power lines and generate short circuits. More tips and information at https://www.enel.cl/es/conoce-enel/navidad-segura.html
Some recommendations
Acquire lights certified by the authorities: you can illuminate a Christmas tree with a safe product that will not cause electrical problems that can lead to serious accidents.
Buy garlands with thick cable format. Thin cables may be cut, cracked, or melted.
If you use the same garlands from the previous year, ensure the wires do not have cuts or cracks. Otherwise, discard them.
Do not overload the electrical maximum of your house with excessive Christmas decorations to avoid overheating cables, lights, and the Christmas tree.
Avoid decorating trees in outdoor gardens since these areas are usually watered and keep humidity, increasing electrocution probability.
Be cautious when installing extension cords and multiple outlets.