Illinois State Fire Marshal to inspect haunted houses

SPRINGFIELD – The state wants to make sure haunted houses are safe for visitors and ghouls and goblins. The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal and local agencies will be making sure haunted houses across the state follow rules to ensure the safety of those being frightened. All haunted houses in Illinois are required to be inspected, prior to operation, though haunted houses operated by not-for-profit religious, educational or charitable organizations can apply for an exemption from Illinois Department of Labor inspection. They still, however, must be inspected by local authorities and/or the State Fire Marshal’s office.
“Fire and life safety are the top priority of the OSFM. While people enjoy being scared at haunted houses, they need to be able to safely escape in case of an emergency to avoid a real nightmarish scenario,” said acting Illinois State Fire Marshal Dale Simpson.
In IDOL’s case, the inspections fall under the Department of Labor’s Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety Division. Halloween is another busy season for IDOL’s inspectors, following in the footsteps of the summer fair season.
In addition to checking the safety of the physical facility, the rules also require a criminal background check and sex offender registry check for all non-volunteer operators and a written substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing.