Halloween Safety Tips

Get tips on how to keep your child safe during Halloween and how to make your home safe for tricker treaters.

Halloween Safety Tips

BEFORE HALLOWEEN:

• Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
• Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.
• Secure emergency identification (name, address, phone number) discreetly within Halloween attire or on a bracelet.
• Because a mask can limit or block eyesight, consider non-toxic and hypoallergenic makeup or a decorative hat as a safe alternative.
• When shopping for costumes, wigs and accessories, purchase only those with a label indicating they are flame resistant.
• Think twice before using simulated knives, guns or swords. If such props must be used, be certain they do not appear authentic and are soft and flexible to prevent injury.
• Obtain flashlights with fresh batteries for all children and their escorts.
• Plan ahead to use only battery powered lanterns or chemical lightsticks in place of candles in decorations and costumes.
• This is also a great time to buy fresh batteries for your home Smoke Alarms.
• Teach children their home phone number and to how call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) if they have an emergency or become lost. Remind them that 9-1-1 can be dialed free from any phone.
• Review with your children the principle of "Stop-Drop-Roll", should their clothes catch on fire.
• Openly discuss appropriate and inappropriate behavior at Halloween time.
• Consider purchasing individually packaged healthy food alternatives (or safe non-food treats) for those who visit your home.
• Take extra effort to eliminate tripping hazards on your porch and walkway. Check around your property for flower pots, low tree limbs, support wires or garden hoses that may prove hazardous to young children rushing from house to house.
• Learn or review CPR skills to aid someone who is choking or having a heart attack.
• Consider safe party guidelines when hosting an Adult or Office Party.

FUN ALTERNATIVES:

• Find a special event or start one in your own neighborhood.
• Community Centers, Shopping Malls and Houses of Worship may have organized festivities.
• Share the fun by arranging a visit to a Retirement Home or Senior Center.
• Create an alliance with College Fraternities, Sororities or Service Clubs for children's face painting or a carnival.

BEFORE NIGHTFALL ON HALLOWEEN:

• A good meal prior to parties and trick-or-treating will discourage youngsters from filling up on Halloween treats.
• Consider fire safety when decorating. Do not overload electrical outlets with holiday lighting or special effects, and do not block exit doors.
• While children can help with the fun of designing a Jack O' Lantern, leave the carving to adults.
• Always keep Jack O' Lanterns and hot electric lamps far away from drapes, decorations, flammable materials or areas where children and pets will be standing or walking.
• Plan and review with your children the route and behavior which is acceptable to you.
• Do not permit children to bicycle, roller-blade or skateboard.
• Agree on a specific time when revelers must return home.
• Along with flashlights for all, older children and escorts should wear a wristwatch and carry coins for non-emergency phone calls.
• Confine, segregate or otherwise prepare household pets for an evening of frightful sights and sounds. Be sure that all dogs and cats are wearing collars and proper identification tags. Consult your veterinarian for further advice.
• Remind all household drivers to remain cautious and drive slowly throughout the community.
• Adult partygoers should establish and reward a designated driver.

WHEN TRICK-OR-TREATING:

• A Parent or responsible Adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.
• Remind Trick-or-Treaters:

By using a flashlight, they can see and be seen by others.

Stay in a group, walk slowly and communicate where you are going.

Only trick-or-treat in well known neighborhoods at homes that have a porch light on.

Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk.

If no sidewalk is available, walk at the farthest edge of the roadway facing traffic.

Never cut across yards or use alleys.

Never enter a stranger's home or car for a treat.

Obey all traffic and pedestrian regulations.

Always walk. Never run across a street.

Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks (as recognized by local custom).

Remove any mask or item that will limit eyesight before crossing a street, driveway or alley.

Don't assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing Trick-or-Treaters. Just because one car stops, doesn't mean others will.

Never consume unwrapped food items or open beverages that may be offered.

No treats are to be eaten until they are thoroughly checked by an Adult at home.

Law Enforcement authorities should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.

AFTER TRICK-OR-TREATING:

• Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible Adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.
• Try to apportion treats for the days following Halloween.
• Although sharing is encouraged, make sure items that can cause choking (such as hard candies), are given only to those of an appropriate age.

These safety tips are courtesy of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.

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Burn Recovery Center Offers Parental Safety Tips for Halloween

Each Halloween, millions of American children go trick or treating. It's supposed to be a night of fun but unfortunately some children are injured because they don't follow simple safety tips. Flammable costumes and other fire hazards can lead to serious burns.

Burn injuries are one of the leading Halloween injuries but also the easiest to prevent. The Burn Recovery Center has published some tips to keep parents and children safe this Halloween.

Decorations/Indoor events:

• Place all lit pumpkins on a flat stable surface. If possible use a flashlight instead of a candle.
• If the pumpkin will be indoors, keep it away from any flammable material and never leave it unattended.
• Sweep your porch of debris. If an accident occurs, dry leaves and brush can quickly spread a fire.
• Use flashlights instead of candles/flames for any lighting or decoration. With a little creativity you can make your decorations more festive and safer for visitors.
• Keep in mind that paper, dried flowers, and cornstalks are highly flammable and keep them away from any heat source.
• Make sure none of your indoor decorations are blocking exits.
• Check to make sure your smoke alarms are functioning properly. Every year 50% of fire related deaths in the United States involve homes without a working smoke alarm.
• This is also a good time to make sure you and your children have a developed an escape plan in case of a fire related emergency.
• If your children will be at another house or a school sponsored event, make sure both of you know and can easily locate exits.

Costumes:

• Try to purchase costumes and accessories labeled flame resistant or retardant.
• Make sure your child's costume doesn't have extended or trailing features. In addition to being a tripping hazard they can ignite easily.
• Look over every part of the costume and make sure that it doesn't include anything highly flammable. It's easy for a child to become distracted and a costume can catch fire in a matter of seconds.
• Tell your children to stay away from any open flames and other heat sources. Make sure they know the "stop, drop and roll" procedure. If you need a quick refresher: Stop and drop to the ground covering your face with your hands and roll on the ground to extinguish any flames.

More information about burn injuries is on the web at http://www.burn-recovery.org/injuries.htm

Source: PRWeb

Halloween Hazards Can be a Real Scare

Few holidays produce the same burst of energetic excitement as Halloween. Spooky decorations, creepy costumes and visions of candy spur kids – and often the entire family – into an evening of fun-filled frenzy. But hidden dangers can be easily overlooked in the rush to celebrate.

“Before Halloween fun begins, parents need to take a moment to check for safety hazards and discuss the evening’s do’s and don’ts with their kids,” says Krista Fabregas, founder of KidSmartLiving. “In the rush to get out and celebrate, it’s easy for kids to forget or ignore safety basics,” she says. “And the combination of darkness, excitement and Halloween mischief can dramatically decrease the safety of even the most familiar and secure neighborhoods.”

Krista offers these tips to help parents keep fright-night fun from becoming a real scare:

10. Fill ‘em up first: Send trick-or-treaters off with a full tummy so they won’t be as tempted to eat candy before it’s inspected.

9. Follow safe Trick-or-Treating tactics: Accompany young children at all times and send older kids out in a group with strict route guidelines and curfews – and a charged mobile phone for emergencies. And don’t forget flashlights or glow sticks for everyone, both to see and be seen.

8. Remember safety basics: Emphasize to kids that Halloween night is no different when it comes to safety. Avoid strangers and dark houses, stay on well-lighted streets on a pre-approved route, and take extra care when crossing streets.

7. Decorate with the littlest ghouls in mind: Make yard decorations safe for all. Secure electrical cords and strings out of reach, use glow sticks as light sources instead of candles, and make walkways clear and accessible. If creating a particularly scary haunted yard, consider including a less-scary area for younger trick-or-treaters.

6. Costume for comfort and safety: Dress kids in costumes that are temperature-appropriate, allow free range of vision and movement, and are easily seen in the dark. Accessories from swords and knives to fairy wands should be safely blunted and flexible to prevent injury.

5. Carve a safer Jack o’Lantern: Let little ones scoop the insides of the pumpkin and draw the face – always the best designs – but leave the carving to adults or older kids. Create a safer spooky light using glow sticks in two or three colors instead of candles.

4. Check all candy before eating: Inspect candy before allowing kids to eat. Discard candy with broken wrappers, that can be opened and resealed, or appears tampered with in any way. When handing out candy, include toddler-friendly goodies like lollipops, single-serving cookies or animal crackers in the candy bowl.

3. Keep pets inside all night: It’s safer and less stressful for pets, pet owners and visitors.

2. Prepare for unexpected scares: Assemble a portable first aid kit to treat minor scrapes, burns and cuts, and include asthma and allergy medications.

1. Have a get-home plan: Whether trick-or-treating, attending a party, or stopping by the neighborhood carnival, have a plan that works for everyone in case of separation. Identify a location to go if separated from the group, and attach parents’ names, address and phone numbers to younger kids’ clothing.

Krista Fabregas founded KidSmartLiving in 1999 to help busy parents create family-friendly homes and lifestyles. Visit KidSmartLiving online at www.kidsmartliving.com for information, products and projects dedicated to worry-free family living.

Source: PRWeb