Halloween Safety Tips for Homeowners

October 28th, 2014  |  Home Insurance

Are you planning on giving out candy to all the ghouls and goblins this year? While it’s easy to get caught up with your costume ideas, decorating the house, and which candy to pick up for the trick or treaters, there is another important consideration you need to be conscious of as a homeowner – Safety!

Safety is paramount on Halloween and it’s important that you make your home and property as safe as possible for all your visitors. No one wants a child or another person to get injured, especially if it could have been prevented.

Here are a number of great tips to ensure your house doesn’t haunt you:

1. Be conscious of fire hazards: Fire hazards, specifically candles, are very dangerous on Halloween. With a lot of movement in your home, costumes, and parties, it’s important that you take extra care with where and how you use candles at home.
2. Eliminate tripping hazards for trick or treaters: Tripping hazards are common on Halloween. From costume issues to decorations, pets, damp weather, slippery floors and surfaces, there is no shortage of tripping hazards you need to do your best to eliminate.
3. Ensure your decorations are scary, but not dangerous: Putting up scary decorations is one of the most fun things to do on Halloween. Everyone wants to have the best home on the block. But, it’s important to make sure that all decorations you use are safe. Make sure they are properly hung and secured, ensure there are no sharp edges, and make sure they are visible and not tripping hazards.
4. Avoid making your lighting too spooky: Dim and spooky lighting is part of the mystique you want to create on Halloween. However, you still need to make sure that your looking is not too dim and spooky. Make sure all walkways, entrances, hallways, and rooms are properly lit.
5. Clear walkways: Considering you are expecting a large number of people at the front door, it’s important to ensure your walkway is clear. Remove leaves and debris, and if it’s wet out, make sure your walkway and driveway is not slick or slippery.
6. Give your hell hound the day off: Halloween is probably a great day to give your family dog (and other pets) the day off. The last thing you want to happen is for your dog to get out, or have a situation where you dog bites one of the trick or treaters. Make sure all family pets are secured in a room that is away from the front door.
7. Not going to be home? Make things secure: Whether you are out with the kids, are at a Halloween party or are not home for another reason, make sure to secure your home before leaving.

To make sure you home and property is safe this Halloween, plan some time either the day before or the day of to do a quickly walk around and make sure there are no hazards that could potentially injure anyone. Do you make an effort to reduce the risk of injury at your home on Halloween? What steps do you take?