Can anyone please give me tips please in installing outdoor lighting in a safe way
Probably the most important is IP rating.
If the light is undercover like under your porch, then it needs something like IP44.
However if it directly accessible to water, and needs to handle massive splashing or storms, then it will need a higher rating.
A critical thing for safety (both outdoors and indoors, now that I think of it) is wattage rating.
A light will have a sticker on it like "maximum wattage 10W" - that means you should ensure that the wattage of the globe you put into fitting must be less than 10W, or else it will overheat and damage the light.
For outdoors, never use extension cords made for indoors.
If you want to install wall lights, make sure you only use wall lights that say "outdoors". Indoor wall lights can look robust enough for putting outside but they shouldn't be.
Be very careful to keep lights (particularly high wattage lights) that are quite hot away from combustible materials like dry grass, gas and petrol.
Thus is obvious BUT make sure all your outdoor lights have a circuit breaker on them, in other words don't try to wire around the circuit breaker. It can save your life and your entire property.
If you are using extension cords, then make sure they are outdoor rated ones. Outdoor extension cords have better insulation that can handle moisture and temperature changes, and also have a grounded plug.
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