Halloween is one of our most popular holidays. It’s such a fun time – decorating homes, wearing costumes, going to parties, and trick-or-treating. However, this time of the year also tends to result in accidents, injuries and property damage. Consider the following:
- Halloween is the most dangerous day for child pedestrians (children 18 and under) resulting in over 2 times as many deaths compared to other days.
- 60% of all Halloween related accidents occur from 5pm – 9pm with 23% of accidents occurring during 6pm – 7pm
- More than 100 people die each year as a result of their clothing becoming ignited.
- Over 10,000 fires were reported between the dates of October 30 and November 1 from 2011 to 2013 which resulted in more than $80 million in property damage.
Source: Children’s Safety Network / Sperling’s BestPlaces / National Fire Incident Reporting System / FEMA
Here’s a list of safety measures you can take to make sure your Halloween celebration stays fun and memorable:
Costumes
- Add reflective tape to your children’s costumes and bags to ensure they can be seen
- Double check that wigs and accessories are fire-resistant.
- If using decorative Halloween makeup, test the makeup on a small area of the skin first to check for an allergic reaction.
- Make sure you cut eye holes in your child’s mask big enough so that their view is unobstructed.
- Use nontoxic Halloween makeup.
- Remove all makeup before going to bed to prevent any type of irritation.
- If using props, ensure they are flexible and blunt-tipped to avoid injury.
- Do not let your child go out in a long trailing or bulky Halloween costume.
Trick-or-Treating
- Parents should accompany children 12 and under while trick-or-treating.
- Stay with your trick-or-treating group.
- Stick to familiar, well-lit areas.
- Do not eat any treats until you get home and can inspect the candy.
- Never enter a stranger’s home or car.
- Only approach homes that have their porch light on.
- Use flashlights to help you see where you are walking.
- Cross the street at a cross walk or corner.
- Look and listen both ways before crossing the street.
- If possible, stay on sidewalks.
- If your children are mature enough to go alone, plan and review a trick-or-treating route and time to return home.
Fire Safety
Many common causes of Halloween fires are preventable with the right fire safety precautions. Therefore, you can celebrate Halloween with traditional decorations and costumes without worrying about the risk of a fire. These fire safety tips will help you celebrate Halloween safely with your family.
- Put flammable decorations such as cornstalks, hay bales, and paper based decorations away from jack-o-lanterns, candles, and other sources of heat.
- Keep the exits of your home clear for safe evacuation in case of a fire.
- Consider using electric candles or glow sticks to light jack-o-lanterns.
- When using real candles, light them with a long match or utility lighter without tipping the pumpkin.
- You should place jack-o-lanterns with real candles away from walkways and other decorations and watch children carefully around the candles.
- Do not decorate your yard with torches or candles because they can be dangerous if a child brushes up against them in their costume.
Be safe and have a Happy Halloween! If you experience any kind of fire because of an accident with your decorations or some other reason, make sure you call the fire damage restoration experts at Xtreme Home Improvement right away. We will limit the effects of the damage and get your home back to its original condition as soon as possible.