UL cautions that counterfeit electronics rarely perform as advertised and can be dangerous.  They can look very similar to the actual, authentic product but be much different internally and therefore, potentially dangerous.  To avoid unsafe products from reaching your family, UL recommends the following:

• Be aware of electronics sold through deep discounters and flea markets – shop at a reputable retailer
• If there is not a brand or manufacturer name listed on the box/label, don’t buy it!
• Look for the UL Mark
• If the label has misspelled words or poor English grammar it’s a red flag that the item may be counterfeit

While you’re here at SafetyAtHome.com, be sure to review our Safety Checklist: http://www.safetyathome.com/home-safety/

Now in our fourth year as premier sponsor of the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony, UL is encouraging families to Commit a Minute to Safety this holiday season. To help spread our message about the importance of holiday safety, we enlisted our good friend, Kermit the Frog to talk to Bob Schieffer from CBS News and Wolf Blitzer from CNN.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Not all toys are created equally safe. Tips for buying and helping to ensure toys are safe this season courtesy of USA Today and UL. Read more here.

NORTHBROOK, Ill. November 1, 2011 – Every minute, 17 children visit the ER due to unintentional injuries, a startling number that equates to an estimated 9.2 million injuries a year. Household injuries are especially top of mind during the hectic months of November and December, with an estimated 230 people in the United States visiting emergency rooms each day as a result of holiday-related injuries. In response to these alarming statistics, UL, a global safety organization, is working with stars of Disney’s The Muppets, including Kermit the Frog, Swedish Chef, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker, on a national campaign – Commit a Minute to Safety. The campaign’s goal is to raise awareness of the importance of holiday safety and make sure parents know valuable holiday safety information – water your tree daily, never leave a lit candle unattended, turn pot handles in while cooking, and always look for the UL Mark.

Beginning today, UL is asking families to take time out of their busy schedules to ensure they are making safety a priority this holiday season. To illustrate the simple steps families can take to dramatically cut the risk of injuries, UL, with the help of The Muppets characters Kermit the Frog, Swedish Chef, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker, is launching a series of online safety videos and a national public service announcement (PSA) that provide families with vital safety tips to ensure a safe and bright holiday season. The first video focuses on the importance of fire safety and can be viewed at www.safetyathome.com.

“The holidays are a happy time and we want to help keep them that way. Commit a Minute to Safety shows folks how easy it is to keep their home and family safe,” said Kermit the Frog, who adds an additional holiday safety tip of his own: “Never mix mistletoe and romantic pigs. Trust me on this.”

In addition to The Muppets holiday safety videos and PSA, UL has revamped its website and is offering downloadable holiday safety content such as the Safety Time learning and activity book for children. UL will also be updating its SafetyAtHome Facebook and Twitter pages with news about upcoming events including UL’s presenting sponsorship of the City of Chicago Tree Lighting and the National Tree Lighting in Washington, D.C.

“During the holidays, UL reminds families to look for the UL Mark on decorations, lights and electronics,” said John Drengenberg, Consumer Safety Director at UL. “When you see the UL Mark, you can rest assured that the highest safety standards have been met.”

UL independent engineers and scientists perform thousands of rigorous tests on products such as holiday lights, electric decorations and artificial trees. This year, UL offers the following safety guidelines to show how safety can take as little as one minute and help families identify and prevent hazards that too often result in accidents or tragedy.

•WATER YOUR TREE DAILY: Dry trees pose a substantial fire risk. After bringing your tree home, make a fresh cut at the base of the trunk before putting it in a sturdy stand. Be sure to water it daily. Additionally, know your tree’s expiration date. After about four weeks, the tree will stop absorbing water and dry out, and should be properly discarded or recycled.

•CHECK YOUR LIGHTS, CHECK THEM TWICE: Inspect all of your electric lights and decorations for damage or wear. Cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires and loose connections may pose a fire or shock hazard.

•DECORATE WITH A SAFE EYE: Cords should not be run under carpets or tacked up with metal nails or staples. Small decorations can be a choking hazard for small children or pets and should be kept out of reach.

•BE FLAME AWARE: Always blow out unattended candles and keep flammable materials “three feet from the heat” of lit candles or fireplaces.

•INDOOR OR OUTDOOR? LOOK FOR THE UL MARK: Indoor-use-only light strings are marked with UL’s green holographic label. Indoor-or outdoor-use light strings are marked with UL’s red holographic label. Only use light strings and other electrical decorations that bear the UL Mark near the plug, signifying that safety standards have been met.

To learn more about UL’s Commit a Minute to Safety holiday campaign and for valuable safety information for keeping your home safe and bright this holiday season, please visit www.safetyathome.com.

About UL
UL, a world leader in advancing safety, has more than 100 years of proven history. Employing more than 6,800 professionals in over 96 countries, UL is evolving the future of safety with five distinct business units – Product Safety, Environment, Life & Health, Verification and University – to meet the expanding needs of customers and the global public. For more information on UL services, visit http://www.ul.com/.

About Disney’s “The Muppets”
On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, his brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets’ former stomping grounds. To stage a telethon and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. With signature celebrity cameos, Disney’s “The Muppets” hits the big screen Nov. 23, 2011.

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Every Halloween, potentially flammable costumes and improperly used decorations contribute to a significant increase in burn related injuries, home fires and accidents. Good Morning America went to UL Labs in Northbrook, IL to test a variety of costumes and to learn how to help keep children safe this Halloween. Read more here.

Get Directions

While you’re here, don’t miss:

• As you walk in, check out the mural to see how the holidays are celebrated around the world.
• Look up at the ceiling! The inside of Santa’s House is painted with stars and there are constellations that form candy canes and other goodies.
• Click here to watch exclusive Muppets videos not seen at Santa’s House!
• As you walk around, stop by the Santa-Matic 3000 and turn the wheel –you can help Santa and his elves make toys!
• Text PROTECT to 87812 right now to get vital safety alerts from Safety At Home and UL.
• Whisper to an elf, “water your Christmas tree every day” to receive a free, limited edition Muppets and UL button!
• Bonus: Whisper another safety tip to Santa and he’ll give you a second Muppets button!

Get Directions

While you’re here, don’t miss:

• While waiting to get in, check out the History of the National Tree Exhibit with important UL safety tips.
• Click here to watch exclusive Muppets videos not seen at Santa’s Workshop.
• Are you on Santa’s Naughty or Nice list? Look for your name when you first walk into the Workshop.
• Text PROTECT to 87812 right now to get vital safety alerts from Safety At Home and UL.
• Right before you meet Santa, be sure to look up at the new train set that Santa added to his Workshop.