Boo! The spooktacular, scary and exciting season of Halloween is upon us and if you are wondering how have fun and most importantly, stay safe, we have some top tips for you! Statistically, Halloween can be one of the most dangerous times of the year...
Keep Costumes Safe
If you are dressing up yourself or dressing up the little ones, take a look at the labelling in the costumes to ensure they carry the CE mark. This means that the clothing has passed all the standard safety checks against fire safety and flammability. This won’t completely eliminate the risk of clothing catching fire but will significantly reduce it.
Plan the Night
Keep your family safe with a plan. Smaller children should remain with adults during the trick or treating and the older kids would benefit from a few easy to follow rules, such as an agreed route and time of return. It’s also a good idea to pre-agree the ‘treat plan’ by reminding children that you will help them sort their treats on return to make sure you can remove any sweets with open/damaged packaging or anything that you deem unsafe.
Think Visibility
If you are walking the dark streets, it is vital that you and your family are aware of and abide by road safety and stay visible to other pedestrians and motorists who might be distracted with so much going on. Don’t forget your high visibility jackets and torches if you need them. Keep smaller children with you and be sure to use proper road crossings.
Candle Safety
This seems an obvious one but again, with so much going on, a lit candle could easily be overlooked and become a fire hazard. If you are using candles to set the spooky scene, just be mindful to blow them out after all the fun is over. Also consider using battery operated candles around the home and inside pumpkins which pose no danger and are safe, cheap and easy to use.
Children and Pets
At this time of year, there is a chance that people in your neighbourhood will be letting fireworks off or perhaps there will be some organised displays. Be mindful that not everyone in your family might like the noise associated with fireworks. Dogs and cats especially should be brought inside and it’s possible small children or children with sensory difficulties might not be as wowed with the fireworks as everyone else and will need to be treated accordingly.
From all of the team here at HoldenCopley, we wish you and your family a fun-filled and safe Halloween.