Filled with creative costumes, endless bags of candy and fun frights, Halloween is a holiday many of us look forward to every year. However, without taking precautions, Halloween can pose some scary safety hazards.
We’ve made a list of the top safety tips to keep your kids, and your home hazard-free this Halloween.
1. Light up the night
While lit candles or luminaries may add a ghostly glow to your “haunted house,” they also pose a serious fire hazard. Prevent the risk of trick-or-treaters tripping over lit candles and potentially starting a fire by opting for LED lights over real candles in your Halloween luminary bags or carved pumpkins. Make sure the lights are grounded and rated “water-resistant/UL approved for outdoor use”.
2. Clean up your yard
Sugar-fueled trick-or-treaters often race from house to house, cutting through front yards. Eliminate hazards from your yard to keep kids safe — rake leaves, remove dead branches, trim hedges and fill holes. Also store bikes, potted plants, gardening tools and hoses out of the yard and at a safe distance from any walkways.
3. Clear a path
Clear a path from your driveway to the front door to reduce the risk of trips and falls. Repair loose porch railings and uneven walkway stones that pose a safety threat to young trick-or-treaters.
4. Confine pets
Prevent Halloween mishaps by keeping pets confined safely in another room in the house, away from the constant excitement of young children ringing the doorbell. Scared cats can dart out the front door, knocking over carved pumpkins and candles. Dogs may mistake trick-or-treaters for intruders and accidentally attack a young child.
5. Leave enough space
When putting out Halloween decorations for display, make sure to leave enough room for people to walk up to your door without bumping into them.
6. Trick-or-treat safely
Have trick-or-treaters of your own? Remind them to walk, not run, between houses and stick to well-lit driveways and sidewalks.
People’s Trust Insurance wishes everyone a safe and spooktacular Halloween!