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Halloween Safety: Tricks and Tips

Article By Bob Johnson in Musings

bob-halloween

This Thursday, little monsters will be traipsing all over Indianapolis, and some of them will be coming to your door. That’s a scary thought on its own, but here’s another: could your property be a liability this Halloween?

As we discussed in a previous post, “premises liability” is the responsibility that every homeowner has to make sure his or her property is safe for visitors. If someone is injured on the property, the homeowner (and his or her insurance company) will need to pay the visitor’s medical bills, in most cases.

Halloween

So when Halloween rolls around, it’s important to do a detailed survey of your property in order to protect you and your ghoulish visitors, especially with so many kids wearing costumes that may limit their ability to see or walk normally.

Here are a few things you can do to make sure you and your neighborhood’s trick-or-treaters are safe. 

1. Turn on your porch lights to help improve visitors’ ability to see.

2. Clear out any obstacles that may trip approaching visitors.

3. Keep pumpkins, other Halloween decorations, and any electrical cords away from walkways.

4. Sweep leaves and debris from your sidewalks, walkways, and driveway to prevent slips.

5. Repair potential hazards on the exterior of your home, or clearly mark them as hazards.

6. Restrain pets who may become too excited or startled by the doorbell and visitors.

Even if you’re not passing out candy, some trick-or-treaters will inevitably try your door anyway, so you may want to double-check your property’s walkways, just in case.

Not sure when your neighborhood’s designated trick-or-treat hours are? See a full list of Indianapolis-area times here.

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