Happy Halloween Safety Tips
It’s that time of year again where little ghosts and goblins come out to play and neighborhoods take on a spooky glow. But the scariest part about Halloween can be gaps in your homeowner’s insurance that don’t cover hazardous Halloween mishaps! That’s not to say you should turn the lights out, crawl up inside, and forego the festivities. Here are 3 common household liability issues that arise on Halloween and how you can avoid them.
1. Trip or Treat?
The most common home insurance nightmare is a trick-or-treater taking a tumble on your property. Keep kids and parents safe by minimizing hazards that lead up to your door. This includes trimming back shrubs, evening out the lawn, fixing loose tiles, and clearing wood piles or other debris away. Walk along your entry path from the road all the way to your front door before the big night. Are there any trip hazards along the way? Is the path clear? Keep lights bright enough so everyone can see where they’re going.
2. Keep the Four Legged Furries Away
Between a steady flow of footsteps outside and your doorbell constantly ringing, your pet is sure to get excited, so it’s best to keep your pets away from the action. Scared cats and dogs could easily dart out the door. The chance for a scuffle with a neighborhood trick-or-treater is greatly increased during the festivities. Therefore keep your pets contained in a separate room, away from all the excitement.
3. Decoration Danger
Jack-o-lanterns are a tried and true way to celebrate Halloween, but they also lead to home fires every year. If you want to line your sidewalk with lanterns or line your porch with pumpkins, opt for little LED candles instead of real ones. Candlelit decorations are easily forgotten and left unattended during the festivities and can be a real danger. Don’t leave flames unattended and keep candles away from flammable objects, such as fake cobwebs and witches on straw brooms! Large lawn ornaments like inflatable pumpkins can also collapse unexpectedly, so keep them far away from sidewalks or anywhere people are walking.
Review Your Homeowners Insurance Policy
With the changing of the seasons, now is the perfect time to take a closer look at your homeowner’s insurance coverage. Give yourself and your guests peace of mind this Halloween by making sure you’re covered in the event of an accident.
As always, having the correct insurance in place can help protect you and your home over this Winter season. Give us a call and talk to one of our insurance experts to find out more or to review your insurance program.