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Halloween Safety Tips

Guest — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:18:07 +0000

Halloween is tonight – Monday night, October 31st.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided some helpful tips for parents and kids planning to venture out for trick or treating reminding all to have a S.A.F.E. H.A.L.L.O.W.E.E.N.

Be Safe on Halloween!

S – Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.

A – Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.

F – Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.

E – Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.

H – Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. Always WALK and don’t run from house to house.

A – Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.

L – Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.

L – Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.

O – Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.

W – Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.

E – Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.

E – Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult.

N – Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making and fire and life safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Halloween Safety Tips

Guest — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 02:48:59 +0000

Scary costumes? Check.

Bags of candy? Check.

Halloween decorations? Check.

The countdown to Halloween is well underway but here are a few considerations for your checklist before you send your little ghosts and goblins out for the evening:

How safe is the costume? Many boys love dressing up as the Grim Reaper or some ghoul but be sure if their costume is all black that you put a few pieces of light-reflective tape on the front and back of their costume. (To make it “cool” you can design it as some symbol or wording) You can also purchase some glow bracelets or necklaces. Most schools won’t allow them to bring any weapon, spear or walking stick to school so find out first what’s permissible.

Try to use make-up rather than a mask for your kids. A mask can slip making it hard for them to see as they’re walking and also the rubber or plastic inside the mask can make it hard for them to breathe.

Be sure that if the costume is floor length that’s it’s not so long it and can cause them to trip. Check for loose cords or strings around their neck that could get caught on something as they’re walking.

Are they ready to go it alone? At some point it just won’t be cool to be out trick-or-treating with mom or dad. So how do you know if they’re ready to go out on their own? A lot depends on where they are going. An apartment building or housing community located on a cul-de-sac is much safer than a busy road or remote area where there’s little lighting and the homes are spread out. Consider driving them to a housing complex where you wait at the end of the street while they go trick-or-treating. Be sure you know their route, who they are going out with (always go in a group) and they have a cell phone in case of an emergency. Establish a curfew and a few times that they must check in with you.

Host a party – Rather than having them go out trick-or-treating, consider hosting a party. You’ll know where they are, who they’re with and can monitor what they eat.

Check the loot – Kids should be reminded to only eat candy that’s unopened and in its original wrapper. Children under five years of age should not be allowed to eat hard candy, caramels, popcorn or items with nuts as these are all choking hazards.

Most importantly, remind your child never to get into a car with someone they don’t know. If someone approaches them, and they feel at all uncomfortable, explain to them that they should go to the nearest well-lit home and ring the doorbell.

Posted by Alison Rhodes, also known as the The Safety Mom , has exploded onto the national scene as the preeminent voice on safety, wellness and healthy living. From environmental toxins and healthy eating to sports injuries and cyber bullying, The Safety Mom is always on the lookout for the issues facing children – newborns to teens – as well as the entire family. Children, Family

Have a Fire-safe halloween

Guest — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 02:43:35 +0000

Costumes, decorations, glowing pumpkins and treats are all part of what makes Halloween fun for all ages. Whether you are hosting a party, helping your little one with their costume, or decorating your home for beggar’s night, following these few simple tips will help make your Halloween a safer one.

Costumes

Purchase only labeled flame-resistant or flame-retardant costumes, wigs and masks. These labels do not mean these items won’t catch fire. Instead, they indicate that these fabrics will resist burning and should extinguish quickly, once removed from the ignition source.
Instruct your child to stay away from open flames or other heat sources. Review with them the principle of “stop, drop, and roll” (stop immediately, drop to the ground covering your face with your hands, and roll over and over to extinguish flames).
Keep dried flowers, cornstalks, crepe paper, and other highly flammable decorations well away from all open flames and heat sources, including light bulbs, candles, heaters, etc. The National Fire Protection Association reports that decorations for special events like Halloween accounted for an average of 1,150 home fires each year and that most of these fires could be attributed to candles.
Keep Jack-O-Lanterns and electric lamps or lights far away from drapes, other decorations, high traffic areas, or areas where children and pets will be.
When decorating walkways and yards, use flashlights or battery-operated candles in place of wax candles. They are much safer for visitors, whose costumes may brush against the lighting.

Beggar’s Night and Parties

Take a flashlight (with fresh batteries) along to help you see and be seen.
Help your children locate the exits and escape routes in the buildings and homes where they attend parties.
If you are hosting a party, keep exits clear of decorations, ensuring nothing blocks escape routes.
Add reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility in the dark.

Article Credits: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the National Fire Protection Association and a member of several similar safety organizations. Perkins is the Fire Marshal for the Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com

Have a Fire-Safe Halloween

Jill — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:15:34 +0000

Costumes

Purchase only labeled flame-resistant or flame-retardant costumes, wigs and masks. These labels do not mean these items won’t catch fire. Instead, they indicate that these fabrics will resist burning and should extinguish quickly, once removed from the ignition source.
Instruct your child to stay away from open flames or other heat sources. Review with them the principle of “stop, drop, and roll” (stop immediately, drop to the ground covering your face with your hands, and roll over and over to extinguish flames).

Trick or Treat

Decorations

Keep dried flowers, cornstalks, crepe paper, and other highly flammable decorations well away from all open flames and heat sources, including light bulbs, candles, heaters, etc. The National Fire Protection Association reports that decorations for special events like Halloween accounted for an average of 1,150 home fires each year and that most of these fires could be attributed to candles.
Keep Jack-O-Lanterns and electric lamps or lights far away from drapes, other decorations, high traffic areas, or areas where children and pets will be.
When decorating walkways and yards, use flashlights or battery-operated candles in place of wax candles. They are much safer for visitors, whose costumes may brush against the lighting.

Jack O'Lanterns

Beggar’s Night and Parties

Take a flashlight (with fresh batteries) along to help you see and be seen.
Help your children locate the exits and escape routes in the buildings and homes where they attend parties.
If you are hosting a party, keep exits clear of decorations, ensuring nothing blocks escape routes.
Add reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility in the dark.

Wishing you a Fire-Safe Halloween!

Guest Contributor & Author: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.