Play it Safe on Halloween

Halloween is a night for costumes, trick-or-treating, and spooky fun.

No one wants their Halloween festivities to be spoiled by an accident. Follow these safety tips to ensure a night of happy haunting:

1. Trick-or-treat safely. Halloween safety starts at home. Remind trick-or-treaters to walk, not run, between houses and stick to well-lit driveways and sidewalks.
2. Clean up your yard. Young trick-or-treaters often race from house to house, cutting through yards and alleys. Rake leaves, remove dead branches, and trim the hedges. Store bikes, potted plants, gardening tools, and hoses in the garage, or at a minimum, keep them a safe distance from any walkways.
3. Inspect for trip hazards. In the full light of day, inspect your lawn, driveway, and front walkway for potential dangers like exposed tree roots, cracked concrete, or missing pavers. Make repairs where possible or cut off access to unsafe areas.
4. Light the way. Make sure the path to your house is bright enough for trick-or-treaters to approach safely. There are plenty of temporary and affordable options for illumination, from glow sticks to tea lights. And although it may seem more in keeping with the mood of this spooky night to turn off your porch light, it’s much safer to keep it on.
5. Keep pets safely confined. The constant excitement of young children ringing the doorbell is too much for many pets and frightened dogs or cats can easily dart out the front door. Avoid a Halloween pet mishap by keeping Fluffy and Fido in a separate room.
6. Resist flammable décor. Holiday decorations are often highly flammable because they are constructed from materials such as paper, hay, and dried cornstalks. If you can’t resist adorning your home and yard with these items, then be sure to keep them away from candles and other heat sources. If jack-o-lanterns or luminaries figure into your decorations, illuminate them using LED tea lights instead of candles.
7. Safeguard the candy bowl. If you’re thinking of setting out a bowl of candy for trick-or-treaters to help themselves, think again. Not only will it disappear very quickly, you also run the risk of attracting animals. And, sadly, there’s also the possibility that someone could tamper with the treats, so it’s wiser to hand it out yourself.

A festive parade of goblins, princesses, and superheroes will soon be marching to your house. Do your part by clearing the path and lighting the way for a fun, safe Halloween!