QUEZON CITY — For a safer celebration of the festive season, the EcoWaste Coalition reminded the public not to buy and use uncertified Christmas lights, which may pose electric shock and fire hazards. “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” the group said.
As one of the products required by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to undergo and pass mandatory certification, Christmas lights are prohibited from being sold without the required Philippine Standard (PS) mark or the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) sticker.
Following the recent test buys conducted in Caloocan, Manila and Quezon Cities, the EcoWaste Coalition reported purchasing 13 Christmas lights sold from P100 to P279 per set, which are being offered for sale without PS mark or ICC sticker and without adequate labeling information.
Moreover, the black and green cords of seven products were found to contain lead ranging from 2,868 ppm and 7,960 ppm, while the solders of one product had 2,072 ppm based on the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) screening performed by the group.
Lead, a toxic chemical, cannot exceed the 1,000 ppm limit under the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic products. According to the EU, “lead poses a risk to the environment and is harmful to human health, as it accumulates in the body, can cause development neurotoxicity and may affect the breast-fed or unborn children.”
Aside from lead, ROHS restricts certain heavy metals, flame retardant chemicals and phthalates in electrical and electronic products, which “are hazardous to the environment and pollute landfills, and are dangerous in terms of occupational exposure during manufacturing and recycling.”
Aside from reminding consumers to only buy and use certified Christmas lights, the EcoWaste Coalition encouraged the public to heed the following safety reminders from DTI:
1. For those who will be reusing Christmas lights from last year, carefully inspect the plug and cord of the lighting set for brittle and dented parts as the insulation material made of PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) plastic deteriorates over time.
2. Dispose of old and damaged Christmas lights.
3. If stored Christmas lights can still be used but have burnt out bulbs, replace the burnt bulbs before using.
4. Plugging in more than three (3) connected sets of Christmas lights into one electric outlet is not advisable.
5. Do not overload electrical outlets. Too many plugs in one outlet may overheat the outlet and may start a fire.
6. Do not leave Christmas lights turned on overnight.
7. Do not use nails, thumbtacks, and wire staples when hanging Christmas lights as these may damage its parts and create fire hazards. Use light hangers instead which are available in hardware and home stores.
8. Read carefully the instructions on the packaging and/or the manuals of Christmas lights provided by the manufacturer.
Before making any purchase, the EcoWaste Coalition also reminded consumers to visit the DTI website to see the list of certified Christmas lights. The list can be viewed at:
https://www.dti.gov.ph/archives/news-archives/dti-bps-list-of-certified-christmas-lights/
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Reference:
https://www.dti.gov.ph/archives/news-archives/dti-bps-list-of-certified-christmas-lights/
https://www.nist.gov/standardsgov/compliance-faqs-rohs#
