Households across the nation will decorate homes and gardens to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee next month. But it’s important decorations are added with risk of injury or accidental to visitors, which could prove to be very costly.
Housebuilder Barratt Home s has compiled a helpful guide to help you decorate a property as safely as possible for the Platinum Jubilee this year. Homeowners or the occupier of a property owe a duty of care to visitors, and may be liable if any accidents are caused by the dangerous condition of a property or the decorations installed, reports BirminghamLive.
Duty of care means a property is ‘reasonably safe’ including any driveway or steps. If you are aware of a specific hazard, you must take measures to highlight the potential risk to those approaching your property.
To ensure that no one is hurt during a street or private Jubilee party, set up decorations that will keep a home well-lit, and always double-check that lights and wires will not create a hazard for visitors. Using fireworks to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee can also see a fine of up to £5,000 and imprisonment for up to six months for selling or using fireworks illegally. An on-the-spot fine of £90 could also be issued.
It is also important to make sure that a driveway/stairs or any other entry points to a property are free from items that offer a risk of causing falls or collisions. If someone does have an accident because of the way property decorations, residents could be dealt with a fine of up to £5,000.
The law in the UK is governed by the Occupier’s Liability Act 1957 (Lawful Visitors) and Occupier’s Liability Act 1984 (Persons other than Visitors). You do not have a duty to prevent all accidents, but you are obliged to deliver reasonable care for the safety of visitors to your property. Ensuring everything is safe covers your home insurance and any unwanted liabilities.
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