Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) are collaborating to inspect haunted houses across the state before they open to visitors.

Haunted houses must be inspected by OSFM prior to operation. However, those operated by not-for-profit religious, educational, or charitable organizations can apply for an exemption from IDOL inspection.

"We want visitors to haunted houses to have a spooky time, but we don't want that to turn into a scary situation due to a fire that can be prevented by venues taking proper fire safety mitigation measures," said Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera. "Our inspectors have the public's safety in mind but are always willing to work with owners on how they can properly follow the codes in place to safely welcome guests."

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 automatic sprinkler systems. The rules of the State Fire Marshal's office serve as minimum requirements, with local fire and building departments possibly imposing more stringent requirements.

During an inspection, the State Fire Marshal's office checks for several safety measures:

- Exits and pathways must be wide enough for the maximum number of people.

- Limited number of dead-end paths.

- Provision of panic hardware on exit doors.

- Restrictions on open flame devices or pyrotechnic special effects.

- Furnishings and decorations must be flame resistant.

- All workers must be trained and prepared for emergencies.

State law also requires a criminal background check and sex offender registry check for all amusement attraction workers, along with a written substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing.

"Spooky season is something many people look forward to in Illinois," said IDOL Carnival Manager Brian Fox. "IDOL's Amusement Ride and Attractions Safety Inspectors work to ensure that an experience at a haunted house is safe and fun by ensuring necessary precautions are taken by haunted house operators before an operating permit is issued."

If you believe you visited a haunted house without a permit or need to report an accident or unsafe conditions, call IDOL during business hours at (217) 557-3112 or after hours at (217) 993-2941, or file a complaint online.