6 Halloween Safety Tips

Make sure your outdoor decorations only LOOK or SOUND spooky. Inspect each mechanical ghoul, ghost or goblin for cracked, frayed or bare wires. You don’t want them to really cause a shock or start a fire! 

Want to convert your yard or open garage into a haunted house? Don’t let it turn into a true-to-life horror story through electrical fires or hazards. Only use electrical items marked “for outdoor use.” Plug those decorations into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). 

Halloween night is not the time to take a trip. Keep electric cords away from doorways and walkways, 
lest you or your trick-or-treaters trip and fall.

Keep nails and staples away from light strings and extension cords. They can easily damage the cord’s insulation and expose the wires inside.

Consider battery-operated or new LED lights rather than use a candle in your jack-o’-lantern. These options create less risk of fire or burns. LEDs only use one-quarter as much electricity as incandescent bulbs and may last 25 times longer. Many new LEDs have programmable colors and patterns to make your jack-o’-lantern spookier.

When it’s time to hang up the costume and retire for the evening — or if you’re leaving home for a few hours — make sure you turn off your electrical decorations.