Electric safety tips for Halloween

While Halloween is meant to be both a fun and scary season, the Grand River Dam Authority wants to help ensure that the fun part stands out the most. With that in mind, here are a few Halloween-related electric safety tips that can help promote a safe and fun - but less scary - holiday. GRDA passes these along from our friends at the Electric Safety Foundation International (esfi.org).

• Decorating or dressing for the season? Make sure to choose decorations, costumes and accessories that are made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant, or non-combustible materials.
• Avoid using dried flowers, corn stalks, or hay in your festive decorations. These items are highly flammable and could even be ignited by heat from a nearby lightbulb.
• Remember, before you decorate, to inspect each electrical item and discard any with damaged wires.
• If you are using electrical products outside, make sure they are marked "for outdoor use."
• Use only electrical decorations and products that have been tested and certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory such as UL, Intertek, or CSA.
• Keep electric cords out of high-traffic areas, where they can be a tripping hazard to trick-or-treaters.
• Finally, be sure to plug all outdoor decorations into circuits protected by Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GCFIs) to prevent electric shock.

Your friends at GRDA want you to stay safe this Halloween season!

GRDA is Oklahoma's largest public power electric utility; fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales instead of taxes. Each day, GRDA strives to be an "Oklahoma agency of excellence" by focusing on the 5 E's: electricity, economic development, environmental stewardship, employees, and efficiency.