Are you planning to buy new Christmas lights? Inspectors have come up with serious findings.

Today, few of us can imagine Christmas without a lit Christmas tree. However, if you want to experience the holidays in health and comfort, you should not underestimate the purchase of Christmas lights.

The Slovak Trade Inspection (SOI) inspected Christmas lights available in our market and came up with disturbing findings. "Up to 61 percent of the tested light chains represent a serious risk to the safety and health of the consumer, and 87 percent of the tested types did not meet some of the technical requirements," stated the inspection.

Shocking results of the inspection action: Inspectors from SOI conducted checks from November 2022 to February 2023 in a total of 123 establishments. Deficiencies were found in 20 of them, representing 16.3 percent. In total, 534 types of Christmas light chains were examined, with deficiencies found in 44 types, representing 8.2 percent. The total value of damaged goods exceeded 2,800 euros.

The inspection covered Christmas lights for both indoor and outdoor use, regardless of the country of origin. The control focused not only on mandatory labeling, accompanying or technical documentation but also on checking technical requirements with an emphasis on the safety of light chains.

The most common deficiency found was the lack of labeling with the name or trademark of the manufacturer with a full address. Out of the total of 44 types that did not comply with the prescribed requirements, as many as 37 of them were not labeled with the business name or trademark of the manufacturer, representing 84 percent.

Deficiencies found in mandatory labeling:

• Missing CE marking – 5 types;
• Missing manufacturer information – 37 types;
• Missing importer information – 17 types;
• Missing identification mark – 15 types;
• Missing other mandatory information – 3 types.

Deficiencies found in technical documentation:

• Absence of a declaration of conformity – requested in 38 types, with 24 types not providing it;
• Absence of technical documentation – requested in 24 types, with 16 types not providing it.

Inspectors also checked the technical properties of the products, verifying whether the properties of the Christmas light chains declared by their manufacturers correspond to reality and whether they are safe in terms of their technical design. For this purpose, they took 23 types of products directly from the consumer offer.

The results of testing in an accredited laboratory showed that:

• 3 types complied with the specified technical requirements;
• 6 types did not comply with the requirements of technical regulations, with 4 types having a manufacturer based in the European Union and 2 types having a manufacturer from third countries;
• 14 types posed a serious risk to the health of consumers and were dangerous products.

The following identified deficiencies may pose a danger of electric shock and fire:

• Insufficient mechanical strength of the light chain – possible access to live parts;
• Insufficient conductor cross-section;
• Insufficient resistance to water;
• Insufficient length between the plug and the first clamp.

The Trade Inspection claims that despite annual inspections, new types of light chains that not only fail to meet basic regulatory requirements but also pose a risk to the safety and health of consumers are continually entering our market.

"It is important to note that while in the past there was no distinction whether the manufacturer of the light chain was based in the European Union or in a third country, recent years show that the vast majority of dangerous chains come precisely from imports, i.e., from manufacturers in third countries," states SOI.

How to safely buy Christmas lights? SOI recommends that consumers pay attention when purchasing light chains and prefer sellers with a permanent place of sale for possible product complaints. Similarly, they should have the product unpacked, displayed, and request a purchase receipt before making the purchase. User manuals, warranty conditions, and other information for consumers must be in the Slovak language.

The inspection identifies a high number of products on the market every year that are dangerous in terms of their technical design and pose a risk to the safety and health of consumers.

Therefore, they recommend that customers pay attention, especially when purchasing Christmas light chains, to:

• Information about the manufacturer, importer;
• CE marking;
• Instructions for use, including safety instructions in the Slovak language;
• Information about the suitability of the product for indoor or outdoor use;
• The construction of the light chain itself.

Mandatory information such as the business name or trademark of the manufacturer, the type designation, or the series, batch, or other data that allows the identification of the light chain, and the CE marking must be directly on the product or attached to the product in the form of a so-called sleeve.

If you are a manufacturer, importer, or use similar types of lights in your products, do not hesitate to contact us; we will verify your product for you before entering the market.