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"   I love fall with its crisp weather, fresh apples from the orchard, and of course Halloween. While I really enjoy seeing how creative people get with their decorations, as a trained engineer, I&amp;#039;m always wondering if they were careful to check for safety hazards. Here&amp;#039;s a list of things to look for as you&amp;#039;re festooning your home: Lights  Check the wires on your lights before you put them up to make sure they aren&amp;#039;t frayed or damaged in any way as this can cause fires and/or put you at risk for electrical shocks. You should look to see whether lights are for indoor use or outdoor use and use accordingly.  Extension cords and sockets Make sure to also inspect extension cords for signs of wear or fraying and electrical sockets for cracks. Discard any that aren&amp;#039;t in good condition. Note:  Like all electrical equipment, lights, extension, cords, and sockets should be UL listed. In order to tell if its a real UL listed product and not a counterfeit look for the following:   The name and/or certification mark of Underwriters Laboratories (UL in a circle). The word &amp;quot;LISTED&amp;quot; in capital letters. A control number (four alpha-numeric characters) or issue number (sequence of typically 4 to 6 numbers). The issue number may or may not be preceded by one or two letters and may or may not be preceded by the phrase &amp;quot;Issue No.&amp;quot; A product identity (what the product is).  Candles If you&amp;#039;re going to use candles make sure to keep them in a place where they have absolutely no chance of getting knocked over. A safer alternative is to use battery- powered lights that look like candles. They&amp;#039;re a great choice to place inside Jack-O-Lanterns or other decorations that have the potential to be kicked over.  Looking for decorating ideas? Check out Dazzling DIY Halloween Decorations  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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