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When building or designing a haunt, there are many safety considerations that are absolutely vital to a safe, fun and "up to code" operation. For example, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems and pneumatic placements are just a few of the many required considerations. Here are some other target areas Oak Island Productions always considers when designing and building haunts:
1. Flame Retardant
All haunters know flame retardant is a must. However, you might be surprised to learn that there are many different types available- many that are specifically formulated for different types of materials and application styles. Remember to always contact your local fire authorities and talk to them about your plans for flame retarding. Here are a few examples of flame retardants we like to use:
Latex Paint Additive FR
This additive pours directly into latex paint, making many materials it is painted onto flame resistant. Once in paint, it can be rolled, brushed or sprayed on. This is a very safe and cost effective way to flame retard objects (such as wood), especially considering your cost of application labor will be greatly reduced since you are only applying product once rather than twice (there is no need to paint and flame retard separately).
Raw Wood FR
This flame retardant is great for treating raw wood. It can be sprayed, brushed or rolled and it can only be used on wood when the wood has not been treated or surfaced by another chemical. An interesting note: many companies use raw wood FR as extra protection by treating wood with this flame retardant first and then painting it with FR paint additive.
Fabric FR
This flame retardant can be used to treat carpets, drapes, artificial flowers, wall coverings, mattresses, rope, upholstery, banners, leathers and many other materials. It forms an invisible barrier that inhibits ignition and flame spread and reduces smoke and after-glow. It can be sprayed on, however the best form of application is submersing your material in it.
Outdoor FR
This type of flame retardant can be used to make dry grass, brush, fence post and trees flame resistant. It is normally sprayed on, and can surprisingly last outdoors for ample amounts of time (long term saturation level depends on outdoor conditions).
Caption: Standard Latex Additive Flame Retardant 2. Floor Surface Safety (Especially Around Water!)
Make sure your walking surfaces are even, and that your inclines are ADA compliant (1" of incline is equal to 1' of linear ramp). This is extremely important in an environment where guests will constantly be looking everywhere but where they are going!
When working with water effects, there are several products on the market that can help you keep your guests on their feet. Slip-resistant rubber matting is very effective in keeping guests out of contact with wet floors- just make sure you use a threshold or something similar so that you don't create a trip hazard where the floor meets the mat. Tack tape is another option; this is simply applied to the ground in your trouble spot while it is dry, adding a very impressive grip which will decrease slippage.
Caption: Tack tape works wonders in creating a safe walking environment! 3. Know Your Props!
Make sure you know where your props and scenic materials came from. For example, are you using 55 gallon metal drums or whiskey barrels? If so, make sure nothing flammable was ever in them (empty or not!) before you set them inside your haunt. Vapors can be some of the most deadly ignition sources!
Do you have an old vehicle in a scene? If it is in an interior scene, you must make sure the gas tank is removed. Is that old prop painted with lead paint? Make sure you know where all of your haunt elements came from so that there are no ignition source or other hazard surprises!
Caption: What used to be in those metal drums? 4. Hanging Debris
Hanging items for guests to wade through in haunts is a must! Erosion cloth, dead bodies, slabs of beef, plastic sheeting and other materials are all very effective! This brings the haunt to the guests by separating their "comfort zone" and offers wonderful sensory perception experiences. However, did you know, hanging items in haunts are a major cause of guest injury in haunts? Here are a few "hanging" rules to follow:
- Make sure you rig your hanging items (such as dead bodies and sides of beef) so that guests cannot travel with them. This is accomplished by minimizing the swinging action of the cabling the item is hung from. If guests can travel with items, they will! They will then let them go and the item will hit the person behind them!
- Any item hanging in your hallways should not hang closer to the ground than 18". When items fall below 18" from the ground, they can be stepped on (creating a trip hazard) or they can be tangled in wheelchairs.
- All hanging items should be soft, but be capable of withstanding a vast amount of abuse. If you are hanging bodies, make sure they are made of soft foam on the outside but are lined with a rigid core inside (such as threaded rod) for durability.
Caption: Make sure your erosion cloth is hung properly! 5. Performers
We all know that performers are the real main attraction in a haunt- they are the ones getting the scares- and they are our friends, loved ones and sometimes family! So, keeping performers comfortable should always be our top priority!
There are several key factors to consider when dealing with performer safety. We recommend always maintaining a barrier between performers and guests. These barriers can be clever gags, counters, or anything else that creates separation. Oak Island always recommends that each performer has a maintenance area which they can easily retreat to in case of emergency.
Finally, creating an "ergonomic friendly" scare is an absolute necessity. For example, if a performer is scaring from their knees they should be provided with knee pads and a smooth rubber matt to kneel on. If you have a drop door / picture, the performer assigned to this scare should be able to easily operate the mechanism without straining themselves.
When you have performers who feel safe and comfortable your performer based scares will be more impactful, making your whole event more memorable!
Caption: Comfortable performers are effective performers 6. Emergency Lighting / Exit Signs
Lighting emergency exits properly is an absolute necessity in the haunt industry. What type of fixtures can be used? What are alternatives as pertaining to power requirements and existing infrastructure? Here are some emergency exit lighting options (remember, talk to your local fire authorities before making any final decisions):
Self Illuminating
There are several different types of emergency exit lights that require no batteries, electricity or bulbs- and yes they stay "lit"! Some use hermetically-sealed glass tubes internally coated with phosphor and are tritium gas filled. Others use no chemical content, drawing their power from absorbing ambient fluorescent, metal halide and mercury vapor lights. Many of these exit signs stay lit for up to twenty years. They are a bit pricey but perfect for a haunt that changes location year after year!
Electric with Battery Back Up
If you choose to install electrically operated exit signs, you will definitely want to install "emergency" signs which house a rechargeable battery back-up in the event of loss of power. Most of these back-up batteries last at least an hour, giving your guests plenty of time to evacuate!
Electric with Battery Back Up and Emergency Flood Lighting
This sign is the safest and one of the best solutions for haunters. In the event of power loss, these exit signs stay illuminated and the attached emergency lights turn on to provide area lighting. They are electrically driven, with self-recharging emergency back-up battery systems.
Caption: A self illuminating exit sign 7. Flame Retardant Materials
There are many flame treated materials to choose from on the market that come complete with flame retardant certifications. While sometimes a little more expensive, these materials will save you countless hours of frustration! You can buy hay mats, cemetery grass, black-out material, camo netting, plastic sheeting, foliage and many other items that you will not have to concern yourself with flame retarding- the work has already been done! These materials make life easier for the haunt builder by giving them piece of mind that the materials are safe, while offering great entertainment impact! Make sure they come with MSDS certifications!
Caption: Buy flame retardant materials with certifications whenever possible In closing...
Consider these safety tips when building your next haunt and you will be well on your way to creating a safe, efficient and "up to code" haunting environment that your guests and your local code authorities will love!
Written By: The Oak Island Team
Oak Island Productions is one of the world's leading designers and producers of haunted attractions and haunt products based in Tampa, Florida. Please visit us at: www.oakislandproductions.com
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