•October 12, 2022•

Haunted House season has returned to Illinois and with that comes screams, creaking doors, ghosts and goblins. Safety is a top priority of the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) when it comes to these amusements.
“We want to remind local jurisdictions and the owners/operators of ’Haunted Houses’ that these occupancies can present special hazards that make them particularly vulnerable to fire and fire injuries if applicable codes are not followed. Keeping the public’s and workers’ safety in mind should be top priority for operators of these amusements,” said Acting Illinois State Fire Marshal Dale Simpson.
Two tragic fires in the 1970s and 1980s at haunted houses led to closer scrutiny of haunted house safety. Most haunted houses in Illinois today are required to have smoke detectors and be protected by automatic sprinkler systems. The rules of the State Fire Marshal’s office serve as the minimum requirements that must be met, with local fire and building departments possibly imposing more stringent requirements.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.