6 Safety Tips for Halloween Decorating
Written by
Christine Lacagnina has written thousands of insurance-based articles for TrustedChoice.com by authoring consumable, understandable content.
Reviewed by
Cara Carlone is a licensed P&C agent with 20 years of experience. She has her P&C license in RI and TX and holds CPCU, API, and AINS designations.
Fall is just around the corner, which means it's time to start thinking about your holiday decoration plans. However, before you pull your Halloween decorations out of the garage, make sure you're decorating with safety in mind. Ghosts and goblins make great spooky décor, but no one wants to face real threats like home fires or injuries.
To update your home's protection before you decorate, be sure to check in with a local independent insurance agent to review your homeowners insurance. They'll make sure you have all the coverage you need in case of a disaster. But first, here's a guide of six easy Halloween decorating safety tips.
Top Safety Concerns When Decorating for Halloween
Before you start carving jack-o-lanterns and filling bowls with candy, it's helpful to have the top potential hazards for Halloween in mind. Some of the biggest risks when decorating for and celebrating Halloween include:
- Home fires caused by open flames or faulty electronics
- Home fires caused by overloaded extension cords, outlets, and circuit breakers
- Injuries from decorations and their packaging, such as cuts
- Injuries from the decorating process, such as trips and falls
- Injuries to family members due to unsupervised children or pets
Decorating for Halloween can be a fun and rewarding activity for all family members involved as long as safety is a priority. However, since accidents can happen no matter how safe you are, it's critical to ensure your home insurance policy is up to date. Home insurance can reimburse you for many disasters that can occur during the Halloween season, including fire damage and lawsuits stemming from guest injuries on or around your property.
6 Safety Tips for Halloween Decorating
Safe Halloween decorating can be easy when you follow just a few pointers. Follow these simple safety tips to help avoid injuries, property damage, and other potential disasters as you string the fake cobwebs.
Tip #1: Prepare to Decorate Safely
Even as you prepare your decorations, remember to prioritize your safety. Here are a few ways to start the decorating process off right:
- If you're planning to hang lights or other decorations from your home, make sure you have a sturdy ladder that's the right height and someone to hold it while you work.
- Consider getting a tool belt or bucket to help you carry items around. This leaves your hands free for climbing and working.
- Always supervise pets and young children during the decorating process. Make sure children understand that fake cobwebs are not cotton candy and aren't safe to eat.
- Check the weather and time of day. If it's going to be windy, rainy, or dark, hold off decorating until the weather clears so you don't have to worry about an increased risk of falling.
- Always buy decorative lights and other electronics that are UL-listed. This means the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has approved the product after safety testing.
- If you're planning to decorate outdoors, make sure that any decorations you buy are specifically designated for outdoor use to avoid unnecessary fires and shocks during inclement weather. The product's packaging should clearly state if it's safe to use outdoors.
- Have plenty of power sources ready so you don't overload extension cords. Plan to distribute any electronic decorations across multiple outlets in different areas inside and outside of your home.
A little preparation can go a long way in ensuring your safety throughout the Halloween decorating process.
Tip #2: Check Your Lighting
Halloween is a spooky time of year, so you might want to keep your lights off to create a haunted or scary atmosphere. However, you still want to make sure your home is inviting and easy to move around in to avoid any potential accidents or injuries. Follow these tips to ensure your home is lighted safely:
- Keep some lights on in your home so you can easily reach the door to greet costumed trick-or-treaters or refill your candy basket. It can also help visitors see they are welcome to trick-or-treat at your home.
- It may be a good idea to place reflective tape around the perimeter of your driveway and porch. A well-lit and marked walkway and porch can help prevent kids and adults from slips, trips, and falls on the way to or from your door.
- Always unplug decorations before you change any light bulbs or make other adjustments.
- Carefully inspect all decorations before you plug them in. Check for frayed wires, burned-out bulbs, and other possible hazards. Make any necessary repairs or buy a replacement before using the decoration.
- If you'll be inviting trick-or-treaters or other guests into your home for Halloween, make sure all exits are well-lit and easily identifiable. If you choose to keep your home dim for atmospheric purposes, provide guests with flashlights to help them get around without the risk of injuries.
While you're preparing your Halloween lighting, it's a good time to kick off your fall maintenance checklist by checking your outdoor lights and sockets to ensure everything is in good working order. Try to opt for LED lighting for any lighting you're hanging around your home. These bulbs produce very low heat, so there's less risk of a potential fire hazard.
Tip #3: Clear Walkways
Depending on where you live, the day of Halloween might be warm, rainy, or snowing. It's critical to ensure every walking path, including your sidewalks, walkways, and driveway, is clear for visitors. Remove any items that might obstruct visitors' paths to and from your home.
Slips and falls are some of the most common issues homeowners face, but spending a little extra time making sure the area is clear can help you avoid potential lawsuits. Sweep up any wet or dry leaves to remove a common slipping hazard.
But just in case, go ahead and review your home insurance's liability coverage section with your independent insurance agent. You can also purchase umbrella insurance to increase your liability coverage limits.
Tip #4: Secure Your Inflatables
If you use inflatable decorations for the holidays, the last thing you want is for them to blow down the street. This could lead to car accidents, property damage, or fire hazards. Make sure all inflatable decorations are properly secured by following any instructions provided on the items' packaging.
Although most inflatables come with stakes, don't hesitate to add extra weight by tying them down with twine or adding small bags of sand around the edges. Additionally, ensure you have plenty of space around the inflatable decorations in your yard to avoid third-party injuries. Creating a haunting atmosphere around your home shouldn't have to result in a lawsuit.
Tip #5: Secure Your Heat Sources
Fire is a major safety hazard during Halloween. It can cause some of the most expensive possible disasters. For example, a pumpkin or lantern with a lit candle inside can easily tip over and start a fire, potentially damaging your home or, worse, injuring someone.
The good news is that there are various weather-safe outdoor lighting options you can use for your decorations, including battery- and solar-operated candles and lights or glow sticks. Consider skipping traditional candles and instead use these in any decorations on the ground or near walkways to stay safe and provide extra lighting.
Be sure to also be aware of any fall decorations that are highly flammable, such as dried cornstalks. Keep these items far away from any heat sources.
Always monitor children if they're allowed to light their own jack-o-lanterns. Consider using long fireplace matches or utility lighters. Remind kids to keep a safe distance from any candles.
Place any lit jack-o-lanterns and other decorations with open flames in safe places where pets, children, or guests won't knock them over, and they won't come into contact with other objects.
Tip #6: Keep Your Pets Indoors
While you might have friendly pets who get along well with kids, having them loose and running around the yard might present a hazard, especially in the dark. Instead, keep your pets indoors while you have visitors trick-or-treating.
If you'll be letting visitors inside, keep cats secured in another room and dogs on short, secure leashes. That way, you don't have to worry about potential guest injuries or your pets accidentally knocking someone or something over or escaping.
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Be Sure to Review Your Insurance Coverage Before Halloween
As a homeowner, the safety of everyone who visits your home, including trick-or-treaters and their parents, is your responsibility. So, the quality of your coverage matters.
A local independent insurance agent can help you review your home insurance policy to ensure you have sufficient protection for the Halloween season. They can also help you file home insurance claims if a disaster occurs.
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