When you throw a festive party, spreading holiday cheer isn’t your only responsibility. You’re also in charge of keeping your guests safe. Follow these 11 tips to ensure your shindig goes as well as possible.
1. Clear walkways. Ensure that your front walk, steps and driveway are free of snow and ice. Sprinkle salt or sand if needed. 2. Light up your property. Make sure that your property stays well-lit throughout the evening so guests can enter and leave your home safely. 3. Remove valuables. Tuck away valuable and fragile objects so they are not damaged. Close the doors of rooms you want to restrict access to, like bedrooms or an office. 4. Test your fire alarm. Make sure your fire alarm is working properly and consider having an extinguisher on hand. Also, you may want to avoid lighting candles for the party. While festive, they’re also a fire hazard, especially in crowded rooms. 5. Have alcohol-free drink choices. Offer mocktails or other alcohol-free beverages for the evening’s designated drivers. And encourage guests who have had too much to drink to switch to these options. 6. Pair drinks with snacks. Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach causes a person to become inebriated quicker. Serve food with drinks to encourage guests to drink in moderation. 7. Have taxi numbers on hand. Make it easier for guests to get home safely by having numbers for taxis ready. Make a list and post it in a visible area, like on the fridge. 8. Monitor over-consumption. Don’t be shy about intervening and cutting off guests if they’ve had too much to drink. Never let anyone drunk get behind the wheel. Take away their car keys if you need to and let them crash at your place. 9. Hire a bartender. For larger parties or evenings where you’ll be drinking, consider getting a professional bartender. He or she will be able to take over the responsibility of monitoring guests’ alcohol consumption. 10. Let friends’ sleepover. An alternative to getting taxis and Ubers for friends is to let them crash at your place. If this is your plan, get all your blankets and pillows out beforehand. Have a good insurance policy. Liability coverage, which is included in most home insurance and tenant insurance policies, is particularly important. Parties always present the risk of accidents and injuries, especially when there’s alcohol involved, and liability coverage will ensure you’re not on the hook for any unfortunate event. Insurance brokers in Nova Scotia To get a policy that suits your needs, work with an experienced broker at Eisenhauer Insurance. For a free home insurance quote, contact us today.