Have a happy and safe Halloween by following our safety tips!
From health insurance to homeowners insurance, insurance agents everywhere cringe at the thought of the dangers of Halloween. Halloween can not only be scary but it can pose some dangers to your health and people visiting your home. Let’s take a look at some dangers as well as some ways to prevent them!
Cautiously Carving
Caving your pumpkin into a Jack-O-Lantern is a Halloween tradition for many families. But it can also lead to injury if it isn’t done carefully. Taking extreme care in carving your pumpkin can save you a trip to the emergency room. Children should be given a plastic knife to use or should use a knife with extreme caution and supervision. If you don’t want to take the chance of injury, use paint or stickers instead. When using a knife, never point it at anyone. Don’t cut towards you and be aware of your fingers at all time.
Fires
Pumpkins can pose a danger even after carving. Nearly 33,900 fires were reported between 2009 and 2011 in the three day span around Halloween. These fires caused 30 deaths and 175 injuries. A vital step to lower your home’s risk of fire is to extinguish fires. Candles inside your pumpkins and decorating your home can be knocked over causing fires. Use battery-operated tea lights instead or string lights.
Villainous Vandals and Devious Decorations
The night before Halloween is known a “Moving” or “Mischief Night” and is a night when teens engage in pranks and acts of minor vandalism like egging homes and toilet-papering houses. To avoid being a victim of vandalism, keep your porch lights on or add a motion-sensor light around the exterior of your home. While decorations are fun, they can also scare people and cause injury if they are on your sidewalks. If you put up a haunted house for trick-or-treaters, you are testing their flight-or-fight reflex. This could lead to injury as they try to get away from your decorations. Make sure all paths a clear to avoid people falling and a claim on your insurance.
Although you have your insurances to protect you and your family, putting too many claims on them can cause your rates to go up. Submit claims wisely and keep your Halloween safe by following our safety tips!
Protecting Your Dream Home with Clagett Enterprises
At Clagett Enterprises, we have extensive experience serving the greater Frederick area and Western Maryland, since 1987. Our team is a full service real estate company that’s ready to help you with your real estate needs. Speak with a Clagett professional at 301-665-6009, or request a proposal for preventive maintenance here.