This Halloween before allowing your kid to run out of the house with their costume take a minute to assess whether it is a safe costume to wear.
Safe Halloween Practices
What do I mean? Select a costume and related decorations that will not burn, cause a fall or a laceration injury.
Taking a few safety precautions and the time to read a label and choose a costume that has flame-resistant fabrics, such as polyester and nylon. These materials will resist burning if exposed to an open flame. When purchasing a costume, look for “Flame Resistant” on the product’s tag or packaging.
Lighting the night also is made safer when children have no access to open flames. Flame less candles, light sticks and flashlights provide a safe lighting alternative in jack-o’-lanterns and areas where children will have access.
Halloween Safety Considerations:
Costumes
Purchase costumes, masks, beards and wigs, look for flame-resistant fabrics such as nylon or polyester, or look for the label “Flame Resistant.”
Flame-resistant fabrics will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.
To minimize the risk of contact with candles and other fire sources, avoid costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves, large capes or billowing skirts.
Purchase or make costumes that are light colored, bright and clearly visible to motorists.
For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, decorate or trim costumes with reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car’s headlights. Bags or sacks also should be light-colored or decorated with reflective tape.
Reflective tape is usually available in hardware, bicycle and sporting goods stores.
Children should carry flashlights to see and be seen.
To guard against trips and falls, costumes should fit well and not drag on the ground.
Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes. Avoid over sized high heels or boots
Tie hats and scarves securely to prevent them from slipping over children’s eyes and obstructing their vision.
If your child wears a mask, make sure it fits securely, provides adequate ventilation, and has eye holes large enough to allow full vision.
Swords, knives and similar costume accessories should be made of soft, flexible material.
Treats
Warn children not to eat any treats before an adult has examined them carefully for evidence of tampering.
Carefully examine any toys or novelty items received by trick-or-treaters younger than three years of age. Do not allow young children to have any items that are small enough to present a choking hazard or that have small parts or components that could separate during use and present a choking hazard.
Decorations
Keep candles and jack-o’-lanterns away from landings and doorsteps where costumes could brush against the flame.
Remove obstacles from lawns, steps and porches when expecting trick-or-treaters.
Indoors, keep candles and jack-o’-lanterns away from curtains, decorations and other items that could ignite. Do not leave burning candles unattended.
Indoors or outside, use only decorative light strands that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory. Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Discard damaged sets.
Don’t overload extension cords.
Stay safe!!!
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Image Source: Source: cpsc.gov