GFCI, AFCI and RCD Test Log
See at a glance when each safety switch was last tested, and catch one that no longer trips. Every device with a test button is numbered once, then each test goes across the grid.
SC-17 2 pages
Safety checks · SC-19
Holiday Lights Safety Check
A free printable holiday lights safety check: each set of festive lights and each extension lead checked before hanging, with outdoor ratings and RCD protection.
Download Free · no sign-up
One page. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.
Print it and write on it
Fill it in type and save
The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.
What this sheet is for
Check each set of lights and each extension lead before it goes up, and bin the damaged ones. Ratings, safety-switch protection and fixings are written down, with where it all went afterwards.
Who it is for
Households, schools, places of worship and small businesses putting up Christmas or other festive lights indoors or outside.
How to use it
- Tag each set of lights and each extension lead with a number, and write what it is and whether it is rated for outdoor use.
- Unplug it, check the bulbs, cable and plug along the whole length, and decide: use, mend or bin.
- When putting up, work through the set-up list, above all safety-switch protection and keeping outdoor joints dry.
- When taking down, note where everything was stored and anything to fix before next year.
What is on the sheet
One page, top to bottom:
Printed under the title: Each set of lights and each extension lead checked unplugged, along its whole length, before it goes up, and thrown away rather than taped if the cable, sockets or plug are damaged. Then the set-up, and where it all went.
Write-on lines: Property · Season · Checked by · Date
Before hanging — tag each set and lead with its number
Table, 11 rows: No. · Set or lead · Rated · Bulbs · Cable · Plug · Result · Used where
Setting up — before switching on
- Outside, only sets and leads marked for outdoor use
- Outdoor sets on a GFCI or RCD-protected socket
- Outdoor plugs and joints off the ground, kept dry
- Held with insulated clips, not nails or staples
- No cable under rugs or shut in doors and windows
- Timer set, or off when out or asleep
Write-on lines: Taken down and stored where · Faults to fix before next year
Questions
Can I use indoor lights outside?
Use only sets and leads that their maker marks as suitable for outdoor use, plugged into a socket protected by an RCD or GFCI. The sheet has a rating column so an indoor set is never picked up for the porch by mistake.
Should a damaged set be repaired?
A missing or broken bulb can be replaced with the type the maker specifies. Cracked or crushed cable, broken sockets or a damaged plug are reasons to throw the set away; tape is not a repair. The result column records which way each set went.
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