Halloween Home Safety

It’s a magical night for adults and kids alike, but Halloween can also pose some serious risks to your home and visitors.

Follow these helpful tips to ensure a safe, fun Halloween for everyone:

• Clear your yard and walkways. Trick-or-treaters are too busy counting their candy to pay close attention to where they’re walking, so it’s important to survey your yard for potential hazards. Make sure the path from your driveway or sidewalk to the front door is free from obstructions or dangers. Clear walkways and steps of any debris or loose gravel and trim back any plants that impede the path. Remove fallen branches, lawn ornaments, toys, sprinklers, gardening equipment, etc. from your yard to help avoid falls.
• Secure railings. Young children will need the support of railings while climbing steps to get to the front door. If you’ve got a rickety railing, be sure to make it secure.
• Avoid open flames. While glowing jack-o-lanterns and candles set a spooky mood, they also present a fire hazard. Costumes, paper decorations, and ornamental straw can easily catch on fire. Use battery-powered candles and lanterns instead.
• Light up the night. Make sure the exterior lights of your home are working and consider turning on flood lights to illuminate the darkest areas of your yard. A well-lit home will also deter burglars and other mischief-makers.
•  Confine your pets. Keep trick-or-treaters, visitors, and pets safe by securely confining cats and dogs inside, away from the front door, until the excitement of the night has passed.
• Consider your candy choices. Not all candy is appropriate for every child. Avoid candy that poses a choking hazard for toddlers and keep in mind that many children have peanut allergies.
• Supervise your candy bowl. If you won’t be home on Halloween or it’s difficult for you to answer the door, you may be thinking of putting out a bowl of candy for trick-or-treaters to help themselves. While this may seem like a good idea, someone could taint the candy, so don’t leave your treats unattended.
• Practice indoor fire safety. Hosting a Halloween party? Keep decorations like crepe paper away from carved pumpkins and open flames, or use battery-powered candles instead. Also, check your smoke alarms to make sure they’re in good working order.