LANSING, Mich. — Have you put your holiday lights up?
If not, it looks like there will be decent weather for putting up decorations outside this weekend.
And with that in mind, Fox 47 wants to remind you how dangerous it can be to hang lights if you're not careful.
Just last weekend a professional installer in Texas fell off a roof and died at a customer's house.
And, around 200 people are hurt everyday while decorating during the holiday season, according to authorities.
Experts recommend having an anchor point and a four-point safety harness before you get on the roof. You can find a harness at most home-improvement stores.
There are also special boots made to grip shingles -- you can get them online.
And firefighters say not to take any chances with the weather.
"Make sure you're not doing any outdoor decorating or putting up lights when there's weather going on," Michael Roberts, Delta Township Fire Inspector told us. "Make sure there's no ice or snow on the ground. Make sure that its dry."
Stephen Muhl is the General Manager at "Shine of Lansing." He said, "It's much safer to not go on top of a roof to do anything but to stay at the roof line to get that done. And to not get onto a roof to get onto another roof line because that's also very dangerous to do without a harness or a lift."
And, don't hang any lights without looking for a label that says "U-l" on the cord. That will tell you if they're safe for outdoor use.
It's not a good idea to fasten them with staples or nails -- they can damage the cords and raise the risk of a short circuit or fire.
For more information and safety tips for hanging lights outdoors and indoors, go here.
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