If you’ve stepped into your local grocery or drug store lately, you’ve probably noticed something: Halloween is upon us. No matter that it’s nearly a month away – America welcomes Halloween with open arms each month and wants it to come as early as possible.
Of course, with Halloween comes plenty of dangers and even insurance risks. To keep your Halloween happy, here are a few safety tips, both insurance-based and otherwise.
Trick-or-Treating:
- Make sure if you or a guardian is taking your child(ren) trick-or-treating at night that they carry a flashlight with them with fresh batteries. Only allow responsible adults to take kids trick-or-treating, and make sure they have a cell phone.
- All children should how to call 911 or their local emergency number in case they become lost.
- Make sure that your child(ren)’s costume is bright and/or reflective, that they wear shoes that fit, and that their costume is short enough to avoid trips and falls.
- Avoid homes without lights on, and never allow children to enter a stranger’s home for a treat.
- If your child(ren)’s costume has a sword or another accessory, be sure it’s not “dangerous” – not too sharp or too long. A child may be easily hurt by these accessories if they trip on them, or they could potentially harm someone else.
- Don’t allow your child(ren) to open treats until you are home and can sort through them together. Though tampering is rare, a responsible adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped, or suspicious items. A small child probably won’t know the difference.
Distributing Treats This Year?
- Remove anything that could be tripped over – such as garden hoses, trash, toys, bikes, and lawn decorations – from your front yard, sidewalk, or porch.
- You may want to shut your pet away for the evening to avoid visitors getting jumped on or attacked. Even if your pet has never attacked anyone, it could happen. Pet dog attacks account for most home insurance lawsuits.
- If you don’t want to give out candy or unhealthy treats, consider giving out small coloring books, markers, stickers, or something “caftsy.”
Pumpkin Safety:
- Always help small children carve pumpkins. Never let them try to carve by themselves.
- Pumpkins with candles inside should be placed on a sturdy surface, away from curtains and other flammable objects, and should never be left unattended.
From Dagley Insurance, HAPPY HALLOWEEN! We hope that your holiday is fun and safe. For more information about home insurance, visit our site at www.dagleyinsurance.com!