First, tell guests what to expect in the home haunt. This is possibly the most important safety tip of all. By posting a sign out front informing guests what the haunt entails, they can be better informed when deciding whether they should enter or not. This is a legal issue for professional haunters, but for even the casual home haunter it's a must. Items that guests should be made aware of are:
- Bright lights
- Black lights
- Strobe lights
- Laser effects
- Fog machines/dry ice
- Loud and sudden noises
- Whether or not actors will be making physical contact with guests
- Absolute darkness
- Anything else that may affect a person's ability to see or hear
Mostly, these are items for people with specific health issues, but it's a good idea to prepare audiences and guests for what's to come, especially if actors or volunteers will be touching guests (not recommended, as scared people might reflexively hit back or try to run at/through props and fake walls). The level of gore might also be a good idea to list if expecting lots of little kiddies. Remember, listing effects isn't only a good safety tip, it's also a good way to get waiting guests excited about entering!
Keep Electricity Away From Guests in the Home Haunt
This is also crucial. As stated above, frightened guests can be very unpredictable, and might not know where to go. By keeping speakers, cables, lights, and especially power chords either outside the walls of the haunt or out of reach of guests, accidents can be easily avoided. Put speakers in boxes or props, and take all precautions necessary to make sure all power supplies are safe (especially if it rains).
Make Sure All Haunted House Walls Are Secure
This bears repeating as many times as possible: scared people are unpredictable. Most will follow whatever path is given to them, but in rooms where they're plunged into absolute darkness, or rooms where no door is evident, a home haunter must make sure all walls, be they plastic or wood, are secure.
Always assume that guests will eventually walk into them looking for a way out. Reinforce wooden walls with multiple braces and make sure plastic walls are secure and can't be ripped down easily. Also try to have an emergency exit route for anyone too afraid to continue.
Consider Guided Tours in Home Haunt
Finally, always consider having groups hold on to a rope while a guide leads them through each room in the haunted attraction. This allows the guide to have guests stop when appropriate and keep them moving through at a decent pace so others can take the haunted tour. It's also important to have someone always available to guide anyone too scared out of the attraction, and to keep guests moving in the right direction.
Remember, safety comes first! Follow these tips and have a safe, fun Home Haunt!
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