Halloween Safety Tips for Homeowners
How to Make Homes Safe on the Night of Haunting
Setting up a spooky yard haunt is an awesome way to celebrate Halloween and wow visitors. But even if homeowners have chosen not to turn their houses into yard haunts, they should still expect little trick-or-treaters, hence the need for homemakers to learn some Halloween safety tips.
Find out how to make the house safe on the night of haunting when visitors come asking for treats.
Practice Indoor Fire Safety
Candles are often used to illuminate Jack-O-Lanterns and many lights with special effects are turned on to give the house an eerie and fun look. Whenever possible, use votive candles if a real fire source must be used. Better still, use batter-operated lights or chemical light sticks to light up carved pumpkins. If many lights are used to decorate the house, don’t overload extension cords or let them run through water or snow in the ground.
Also, ensure that smoke detectors, alarms and sprinklers are in good working condition. Have a few fire drills with the family before Halloween and make sure all the kids know what the escape route and exit locations are. This will help prepare everyone in case a fire breaks out amidst the fun.
Leave the Porch Light on for Trick-or-Treaters
Adequate light is essential for visitors and trick-or-treaters to see where they are going. Leave the porch light on and if needed, install additional lights in the front yard to avoid someone tripping over something he or she can’t see.
Keep Walkways Clear on Halloween
Make sure walkways and the front yard are clean and clutter-free to prevent falls. Move bikes, garden hoses, potted plants and skateboards away from areas that are likely to be walked on by groups of people. Decorative items and Jack-O-Lanterns should also be positioned at a safe distance from crowds to prevent people from knocking and tripping over them.
Confine Pets Elsewhere
Although pets are a big part of many families, they need to be properly confined in a safe place on Halloween when there will be many visitors and trick-or-treaters coming and leaving. The new sights and sounds may excite, agitate or frighten some of them, resulting in unexpected behaviors.
Cats may jump on tables and counters with Halloween lights and props while a dog may mistake guests for intruders, attacking them swiftly the minute the door is open. Some pets may also chew on the decorations or worse, on the electrical cords used to light up and decorate the house. So be sure that the cords are properly covered and secured.
Offer Non-Candy Treats to Young Visitors
Food safety is another Halloween-related safety issue. Candy and sweets were usually given to kids as treats on Halloween. These treats, though not meant to cause any harm in any way, can cause reactions to children with food allergies. And while most kids would’ve been warned by their parents not to eat any treats without letting their parents examine them first, some may just give in to temptation and eat them.
To avoid adverse food reactions, consider offering non-candy treats to young visitors and trick-or-treaters. Stickers, pencils, small notebooks, crayons, a few coins, balloons and cheap small toys all make good candy substitutes.
Halloween is meant to be fun and spooky not just for the family but for visitors as well. Make the house safe for everyone on Halloween. Practice indoor fire safety, leave the porch light on, clear walkways and the front yard of any clutter, confine pets in safe places and offer non-candy treats to little trick-or-treaters.
Found this article useful? Read also Safety Tips for Trick-or-Treaters, Safety Precautions Before Trick-or-Treating and Halloween Costume Safety Tips for Kids.
References:
- Halloween Safety by the National Safety Council
- Clow, Elaine. The Choice Guide to Kids’ Games. New South Wales: CHOICE Books, 2005.
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