If you are expecting trick-or-treaters tomorrow night, you’ve already decorated your home’s exterior for Halloween – pumpkin lights twinkle from the gutters, witches on brooms fly across the siding, jack-o-lanterns smile on the front steps. You might be ready for fright night, but take the time today to walk around your property and do a last-minute check to ensure everyone, family and trick-or-treaters alike, will be safe while having fun.
Outdoor Lights
The easiest way to make your property safe for trick-or-treaters, especially the little ones, is to ensure it is well-lit. Turn on porch lights and path lights. Use floodlights to shed light on the darker areas of the yard. Check to see that all outdoor lights are working. Replace any dim or burnt-out bulbs – use the highest manufacturer recommended wattage.
Candles
Choose LED candles instead of traditional ones. Battery-powered candles in your jack-o-lanterns and grinning skulls will last longer and be safer since they won’t require constant babysitting.
Halloween Decorations
Halloween decorations should be secured so that they don’t come loose, interfere with foot traffic, or block exits.
Keep decorations constructed of flammable materials such as hay bales and crepe paper décor away from heat sources.
If your Halloween display includes inflatables, check to see that they are firmly secured in place and won’t scare a toddler as it’s flying by in a gust of wind.
Electricity
Avoid connecting more than one extension cord into another. Also known as daisy-chaining, linking cords together creates a point of electrical resistance where heat can build up, melting insulation and causing a fire.
When using a power strip, don’t overload it.
If extension cords have to cross a path, walkway, or driveway tape them down to prevent them from becoming a tripping hazard.
When using electrical Halloween decorations outside, check to see if they have a rainproof rating or are specifically designated for outdoor use.
Inspect all cords and batteries for damage: remove and replace if frayed (cords) or swollen or develop a chalky buildup (batteries).
Pets
Pets can become agitated and overly excited by an invasion of people in costumes. They might unintentionally cause damage to Halloween decorations and injuries to little ones. Plan to keep pets, especially dogs, inside and away from trick-or-treaters. On your pre-Halloween night inspection ensure the room the family pets will be sequestered in is equipped with treats, their favourite toys, and a comfy place to curl up.
Tripping Hazards
You might have taped down cords and ensured that pathways and stairs are obstacle course free. But what about the rest of your property? Excited trick-or-treaters can be impatient enough to cut across the lawn. Put away garden tools, lawncare equipment, and toys. Roll up garden hoses. If you have a sprinkler system mark above-ground heads with lights or bright, temporary covers.
Doors and Windows
The front of your home is where all of the action will be. On your property inspection today make sure all entry points to the backyard are secure. If the garage door faces the lane, manually lock it. Ensure the back door is secure on Halloween and ground floor windows are locked. Remove items such as a ladder and recycling bins that can be used to access the second storey of your home.
