Make Sure Your Halloween Decorations Are Safe

As more people are put up outdoor Halloween decorations this time of year, Richard Beard of Utah State University Extension says more and more of us are using a ladder to hand those decorations.  Which means, he noted, increased concerns about a potential fall and subsequent injury.

That's both in the installation and also removal of the decorations. We have a tendency to leave Christmas decorations up longer and Halloween decorations up shorter because we're coming up on Thanksgiving, but the same situation applies. You're getting in to the time of year when it might be cold and wet and homeowners are out there climbing around on the ladder to put up decorations or something like that. So you have to be very careful about that.

Beard adds, homeowners should always turn off or unplug Halloween decorations and lighting before leaving home or before going to bed.

Anything that's larger, more animated, more likely to produce problems you have to be real careful about leaving those on and operating when they're not being supervised.