Halloween and costumes: How to keep your customers safe

Halloween is a fun and festive time, but it’s important to keep safety a priority—especially when costumes and large crowds are involved. Here are some key tips to ensure your customers enjoy the celebration safely.

1. Monitor Costumes for Safety

• Avoid Oversized or Dangerous Props: Make sure that costumes don’t include large, obstructive, or potentially hazardous items, like bulky accessories or weapons that could pose a risk to others.
• Visibility Concerns: Masks or elaborate face coverings can reduce visibility and lead to accidents. Consider asking customers to remove masks at the door, or suggest they keep their vision unobstructed while inside the venue.

2. Crowd Management

• Control Entry and Exit Points: With Halloween drawing larger crowds, ensure that door supervisors or security staff manage entry and exit points effectively to avoid overcrowding. Consider using crowd control barriers if necessary.
• Monitor Capacity: Make sure your venue doesn’t exceed its legal capacity, as overcrowding increases the risk of accidents, especially when people are wearing costumes that limit mobility or visibility.
• Temporary Event Notices: If you are looking to host an event that is outside the parameters of your premises licence, applying for a temporary event notice may enable you to carry out licensable activities and have more control over your Halloween event.

3. Check for Weapons

• Prop Weapons: Some costumes include prop weapons, which can easily be mistaken for real ones or used inappropriately. Have your security team thoroughly inspect any prop weapons at the entrance to ensure they are safe and non-threatening. Ideally, it would be best if you implemented a no prop weapons policy to avoid any confusion.
• No Real Weapons: Implement and clearly communicate a strict “no real weapons” policy at your venue. Ensure this is mentioned in promotional materials and displayed at the entrance.

4. Drink Spiking Awareness

• Increased Vigilance: Halloween often involves heavy drinking, which can increase vulnerability to spiking. Train your staff to watch for unusual behaviour and encourage patrons to keep an eye on their drinks.
• Offer Drink Covers: Provide drink covers or lids to help customers protect their drinks from being tampered with.
• Post Safety Reminders: Use signage to remind customers to stay with friends and report any suspicious activity to staff.

5. Safety in Dark or Themed Areas

• Adequate Lighting: Dark or dimly lit spaces can be a safety hazard, especially with large crowds and costumed individuals. Ensure your venue has enough lighting in key areas like stairways, exits, and restrooms.
• Themed Decor and Obstacles: While decorating for Halloween is fun, be mindful that decorations or themed areas don’t become trip hazards. Keep pathways clear, especially if customers are wearing long or elaborate costumes.

6. Clear Communication of Rules

• Post Guidelines: Display clear guidelines about acceptable costume behaviour, entry policies, and safety rules at the entrance and on your website or social media. This includes any restrictions on certain costume items, dress codes, or weapons.
• Staff Awareness: Make sure your staff are fully informed about the safety rules and are able to enforce them in a friendly but firm manner.

7. Ensure Fire Exits and Escape Routes Are Clear

• Costume Concerns: Long capes, wings, and flowing garments can get caught in doorways or obstruct fire exits. Ensure all exits and pathways remain clear in case of an emergency.
• Signage and Staff Training: Clearly mark all fire exits, and make sure staff are trained to guide patrons in the event of an emergency evacuation.

8. Consider Extra Security

• Hire Additional Security: Halloween tends to bring in larger crowds, and extra security staff can help manage the increased number of customers. They should be trained to handle costume-related concerns, manage crowds, and ensure compliance with safety regulations.

By taking these precautions, you can ensure your customers have a fun, safe, and memorable Halloween while protecting the wellbeing of everyone in your venue.