Holiday Decorations

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The Office of Housing Services has developed a program aimed at providing you with a safe living environment. Its success is dependent upon the willingness of residents to cooperate with our staff and follow established procedures.

The upcoming holiday seasons pose some potential safety problems. It is not our intention to discourage holiday decorations, but instead to encourage proper and safe holiday decorations. To help residents to decorate safely, you should provide them with these guidelines:

Guidelines

1. Live Holiday Trees are prohibited. When choosing an artificial tree, choose only those labeled as being made of non-combustible materials.

2. Candles including decorative ones are prohibited. Having a candle in your room is a $300 fine.

3. The use of combustible materials as decorations is a fire hazard and is prohibited.

4. Non-combustible decorations must be located so that stairways, hallways and doors are not obstructed. Items cannot be hung from the ceiling and cannot cover more than 50% of a wall.

5. Lighting sets must bear UL label and should not be kept on throughout the night. Lighting sets and extension cords should be checked for frayed wiring, loose connections and broken sockets. They should not be used if damaged. No more than three lights sets may be connected to each other.

      6. The use of lighting sets on doors or ceilings in rooms, hallways, stairways and other common areas is prohibited.

      7. “Octopus” plugs are a fire hazard and are prohibited.

      8. Avoid overloading sockets. Use power strips if you need more outlet space.

      9. All decorations should be taken down and stored before the Semester Break begins.

Following these guidelines will help secure a safe holiday atmosphere throughout your residential building.