Halloween Safety
During all Halloween
events, it is important to put safety first. Halloween
is an opportunity to get outside and enjoy the outdoors. If
everyone follows some basic safety tips, everyone can enjoy a fun
Halloween.
Here are some helpful tips to
make the trick-or-treating experience an enjoyable one:
Costume
Safety | Halloween Home Safety |
Treat Safety
Motorists
| Pedestrian
Safety
Costume
Safety
-
Choose
costumes that are light-colored and more visible to motorists.
-
Use
reflective tape to decorate costumes and candy bags to increase
visibility of children to drivers. Reflective tape may be purchased at
hardware, bicycle, or sporting goods stores.
-
Use
make-up rather than a mask; if your child’s costume does include a
mask, make sure it fits snugly and that the eyeholes are large enough
to allow full vision.
-
Children
should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes.
-
Costumes
should be short enough that a child will not trip and fall.
-
Choose
costume accessories such as swords or knives that are made of soft and
flexible material.
-
Costumes
should be made of flame-retardant material.
-
Do
not use novelty contacts such as “cat eyes” or “snake eyes.”
Pedestrian
Safety
-
Engage in
Halloween activities during the daylight hours, if possible.
-
Do not enter homes
or apartments without adult supervision.
-
Remind children to
walk, not run, and to only cross streets at crosswalks.
-
Be sure your
children are accompanied by a responsible adult who has a flashlight.
Flashlights or chemical light sticks should be used so that children
can see and be seen by motorists.
Halloween
Home Safety
-
Remove obstacles
from your lawn, porch, or steps if you are expecting
trick-or-treaters.
-
Make
sure your front porch is well-lit.
-
Avoid using
candle-lit jack-o-lanterns if possible. If you do use candles, don’t
place them near curtains, furnishings, or decorations. Move them off
porches where children’s costumes may ignite.
-
Keep
your pets in another room when you are expecting trick-or-treaters.
-
Small
children should not carve pumpkins; instead, allow them to draw the
designs on the pumpkin and adults may carve.
-
Turn on an outside light if welcoming
trick-or-treaters.
Treat
Safety
- Instruct
children to wait until they are home to eat any candy.
- Check
candy
and novelty toys for potential choking hazards.
- Make
sure packaging doesn't have any tears or tampering.
- Throw
away anything that looks suspicious.
Motorists
- Slow down, especially in residential areas.
- Watch for children darting out from parked cars.
- When driving children around, use child safety seats or seatbelts,
and have children get out of cars on the curb side, not facing traffic.
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Last Revised: February 06, 2007 |
