Visits to a haunted house are exhilarating experiences, yet many visitors worry about safety. They want to know if any actors will try to touch or harm them during their experience.
Haunted houses typically do not allow visitors to touch the actors in them, lest one cause injury and incur liability on behalf of the attraction.
Slips and falls
Haunted houses often seem designed in ways to promote accidents, including trips and falls. Lighting may be dim; strobing lights may obscure pathways; props, uneven flooring, trip hazards and exposed electrical cords all pose dangers for guests and employees.
Though actors are not permitted to touch patrons when performing, some do so when trying to scare them and this can result in various injuries such as fractured limbs, lacerations or broken noses. Furthermore, actors sometimes raise their arms repeatedly when scaring people which causes “cleaver elbow,” similar to tennis elbow but caused by repeatedly raising an arm too rapidly in an attempt to scare people offstage.
Injurys related to haunted house visits include fallen props, collapsing exhibits, and visitors running away too quickly from the scene. Haunted house owners must ensure their premises are safe for visitors as well as train staff adequately in order to prevent accidents from occurring; in case a worker’s actions were negligent and an injured visitor is injured as a result, compensation could be sought from that worker for medical expenses, lost wages and any damages that result.
Chemical burns
Haunted houses utilize many props, from creepy lighting and dry ice for fog effects, to special effects using chemicals that may burn your skin when in contact.
Chemical burns may range in severity; superficial ones tend to be mild while more serious ones penetrate deeper. A deep burn may result in serious, life-threatening injuries; thus it’s vital that anyone experiencing chemical burns seek medical assistance immediately, no matter how mild their symptoms seem.
Many haunted houses prohibit customers from touching actors, yet people often get scared and hit them accidentally. Collia reports her employer has implemented a no-touching policy and employees observe for guests showing signs of being impaired such as stumbling or acting rowdily; when this occurs they’re escorted out immediately and referred to mental health teams.
Structural damage
Haunted houses present unique risks. Employees may need to walk, crawl, and run around the attraction while remaining alert at all times; any slip-up could leave them injured if tripped over or knocked over; also many haunted houses use props and set pieces that are not securely mounted and may fall on workers. Customers are likely to touch actors when overwhelmed with fear or other influences; touching an actor could result in disorderly conduct charges with severe repercussions for both his personal and professional life, such as fines, license suspension or loss, etc.
Infections
If you plan on entering a haunted house, it is essential that you understand and abide by its rules. Keep your hands to yourself, don’t touch props as they were not designed for that use and could prove hazardous, don’t get close to actors as that can be frightening for them and don’t attempt to harm them! Furthermore, do not make sudden movements near actors as that can be frightening for them as well since they don’t know who you are yet!
Haunted house workers are usually everyday people who dress up during specific weeks each year to scare patrons of haunted houses. Most often these individuals are students looking to fulfill community service hours required by their schools but this profession can span across any background.
Haunted houses can be an intense physical environment, and it’s not unusual for patrons to respond violently in response to their fear. This can pose problems for actors at haunted houses as patrons may react violently against them; potentially leading to injuries to them as well. Though independent contractors in haunted houses would not qualify for worker’s compensation benefits, they still deserve a safe working environment.
