Halloween is no doubt one of the most festive times of the year and decorating for the season is a fun and cherished pastime enjoyed by many families. Unfortunately, as almost all Dallas Electrician, ElectricMan Inc. would like for you and your family to enjoy the ghoulish festivities while practicing electrical safety, so here are a few tips for making the most out of decorating for this exciting time of year.

The Hazards of Halloween Decor

When people talk about Halloween decorations, they’re often thinking about lots of lights combined with smoke machines, spiderwebs and paper decorations, all of which can be cheaply made. The down side of these homemade special effects is that many of these decorations are made of highly flammable material which, if left unattended and in close proximity to electrical lighting, can be anything but fun.

Another problem that often arises from Halloween decorating comes from using electrical lighting and components with electrical wiring that has become cracked and damaged over time. Any cracks in the insulation or damage to the wires can prove frightening and sometimes even deadly. Furthermore, heavy usage of lighting and decorations that require electricity can put a strain on extension cords, power strips and electrical outlets in your home, straining your home’s circuits.

Tips for Safe Decorating

You don’t have to leave the Halloween spirit behind to celebrate safely. Follow these easy-to-remember safety tips when Halloween decorating with your family for the ultimate ghoulish celebration:

Whether you own a business or a commercial space used for residential living, there are a number of things you are responsible for doing to ensure the safety and well-being of the building’s tenants. This includes providing proper lighting both inside and outside the space. Your building, complex, or shopping center’s parking lot lighting is a huge part of this, and it’s not just about safety, either.

First off, if you have a business that’s open during nighttime hours, then having bright and inviting parking lot lights will help attract customers. Poorly illuminated areas increase risks such as theft, or worse. This is going to deter a lot of people from even attempting to come to your commercial space.

Employee safety is also a big deal. Your employees should be able to approach their cars without the worry of nighttime risks, or injury due to not being able to see where they are going clearly enough. As a business owner, you have a responsibility to your employees. Focusing on this also reduces your financial liability should something unfortunate happen.

Too often, business owners and retailers neglect their parking lot lighting fixtures because of high costs associated with repair and energy consumption. The benefits far outweigh the risks, however. Besides, today’s lighting options show a vast improvement in efficiency and affordability.

With LED and induction parking lot lighting alternatives, you can effectively illuminate your entire parking lot without hurting your bottom line. Our professional electricians are happy to discuss your options with you, and are well equipped with the tools and the training necessary to get the job done right.

When it comes to crime, it’s evident that there’s an appeal to darkness. Less visibility means less chance of getting caught. The 2014 National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)—an annual Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program publication that’s released by the FBI—includes detailed crime data, such as time of day and type of offense. More than 18,000 law enforcement agencies participate in the UCR Program and provide data voluntarily. NIBRS’ Crimes Against Persons data shows that of the 1,093,466 incidents reported in 2014, 562,104 (51.4 percent) were between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Crimes Against Property data shows a lower—yet significant—39.4 percent of 3,493,904 reported incidents taking place between those same hours.

In an attempt to lessen crime and increase energy savings, many cities and businesses have started replacing traditional high-intensity discharge (HID) lights with LED bulbs, light engines, and fixtures. These actions have paid off. In 2008, Los Angeles began a project to retrofit 215,000 lights with LED lights. Since implementation of the project, color-rendering indexes (CRI) than HID fixtures. CRI refers to how accurately a light source reveals the true colors of objects, people, and surroundings. The CRI of an HID bulb can range from zero (high-pressure sodium) to about 65 (metal-halide). LED fixtures are capable of having CRIs of 75 and higher. Lights with a CRI of 80 or higher are considered to show colors most accurately and increase visibility, which is especially important for security purposes and parking lot surveillance.