Home Owners Tips For Halloween Safety

by Rose Smith, © 2006

Halloween is fast approaching and safety comes to mind with all the young trick-or-treaters roaming the streets at dusk.

Here are some pointers for home owners to help insure the safety of others as they approach your door for their treats.

• Clear your yard of things that could trip up ghostly visitors. Remove and store away ladders, water hoses, flowerpots, rakes, and dog chains/leashes.
  
  
• If you carve out jack-o-lanterns and plan to use lit candles, be sure to place the pumpkin well away from the stairs and walkways. Trick or treaters could inadvertently bump into the pumpkin and catch their costume on fire.
  
  
• Make sure that any paper or cloth decorations that you hang outside are not near any lit candles. Even a gentle breeze could blow the end of your decoration into the lit flame.
  
  
• Keep pets indoors for the evening, especially cats. If your dog needs to go out, make sure you go outside with him or her. Pets get frightened easily on Halloween with all the strange looking visitors coming to their door and you don't want your pet to accidentally bite someone.
  
  
• Light your doorway area and steps. It is easy for youngsters to trip and fall when wearing long costumes and masks that may obstruct their view. If your entrance requires people to walk up and down a long or steep flight of steps, be sure to provide lighting here as well.
  
  

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