Halloween Safety Tips for You and Your Home
Posted Thursday, October 31, 2013Halloween is a fun and exciting time, especially for children. To ensure that youngsters and your home make it safely through the festivities this year, follow these Halloween safety tips:
Eliminate trip hazards. Remove bikes, toys and garden hoses from your home’s front yard and porch. Sweep and rake leaves.
Replace burned out lights. Trick-or-treaters have a hard enough time seeing through their masks; don’t increase the danger by keeping them in the dark.
Restrain pets. You don’t want your pet to jump on a trick-or-treater, or even worse, bite someone.
Use a flashlight or glow stick to illuminate your carved pumpkin. Lit candles are dangerous, especially around small children or crowds of people.
Practice candle safety in your home. Keep indoor jack-o-lanterns with lit candles, and any decorations with open flames, away from curtains and other furnishings that can easily ignite.
Apply makeup as a mask. A loose-fitting mask might restrict breathing or make it difficult to see. Instead, draw on a mask using makeup. If a mask is used, make sure it fits securely and has large eyeholes so the child can see.
Choose flame-resistant costumes. Many homes use lit candles as part of their exterior Halloween decorations. A child’s costume could accidentally brush against the flame. Purchase costumes that are labeled flame resistant. If a costume is homemade, spray it with a non-toxic fire retardant.
Add a few strips of reflective tape to costumes and treat bags. This helps drivers see the children. It also helps to have trick-or-treaters carry flashlights – both to see and be seen.
Limit where children go. They should only knock on the doors of homes with a porch light on. Instruct them to never enter a home or a car for a treat. Teach them to stick to well-lit streets, stay on sidewalks and to never cut across yards, use alleys or dash between parked cars.
Wishing you and your loved ones a fun and safe Halloween!
Links:
Halloween safety tips
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/octhalloween.cfm
Candle safety
http://www.candles.org/safety_rules.html
Apply makeup as a mask
http://www.kidzworld.com/article/6096-halloween-make-up-tips