HOLIDAY HINTS

The Physical Plant Department and Environmental Health & Safety wish you a happy and safe holiday season. As you plan your work area holiday decorations and celebrations, please respect UT-Tyler’s diversity. Not all employees and students celebrate Christmas. If someone in your work group is among these, ask if there are traditions that they would like to have included in your celebration. To help us keep your work area safe and well maintained during and after the holidays, we offer the following decorating suggestions:

TREES

Use only Artificial trees. Metal trees created fire hazards when lights are attached and live trees also are extremely flammable.

ELECTRIC LIGHTS

Light strings should carry a UL or FM approval tag. Use of miniature electric lights is encouraged since they are both cool and energy efficient. All holiday display electric lighting must be turned off or disconnected when the area is unoccupied.

EXTENSION CORDS

Extension cords must not be used across travel paths. When used with decorations, they must be unplugged from the wall each night

DECORATIONS

Decorations should not compromise the safety of employees, students, and visitors in an area. Decorations should never be placed where they block exits, reduce the size of travel paths below 36 inches, or obstruct sprinkler heads or exit signs.

Displays should be compact. Garlands, streamers or displays that extend down a hallway cannot be used because of their potential to spread fire and impede egress. It is strongly suggested that these displays be confined to office areas (laboratories should not contain displays).

An ABC-rated fire extinguisher should be accessible within 50 feet of the display. Exit routes must always be kept free of obstructions.

Decorations that cover an HVAC vent or divert its flow may cause temperature maintenance problems for the work area. The space above ceiling tiles is often the return air space for the HVAC. The heating controls require that the ceiling tiles fit snuggly in their frames.

Lighted candles should not be included as part of the decorations in any UT-Tyler buildings. Clip (or cap) wicks on any decorative candles to discourage inadvertent lighting.

 

CLEAN UP

The Physical Plant Department works hard to keep our work areas clean and neat. Attaching decorations to the wall with heavy tape, such as duct tape, can cause the paint to come off the wall when the decorations are removed.

Plan food functions in non-carpeted areas. Many spilled foods are very difficult to remove from carpet.

Glass should not be sprayed with artificial snow or painted. Paper decorations attached with transparent tape can be mounted on non-coated glass.