Halloween Safety - 21/10/2016

Halloween can be a fun and magical time for families when it comes to making costumes, designing pumpkin lights and preparing for the ever-popular trick-or-treating. However, with so many distractions haunting accidents can easily happy. Therefore to ensure that all the goblins and witches have a safe trick-or-treat evening RANA risk management offer these following tips.

 Preparing costumes

 If you are purchasing costumes or wigs make sure the labels say that they are flame proof.

• Costumes (such as ghost sheets) should be not be dragging off the floor as this can result in falls or other bumps in the night.
• Avoid any accidents when crossing the road by making sure you children can see properly through their masks.
• Costume accessories such as knives or swords should be made of cardboard, rubber or other flexible material.

 Trick-or-treating

 Young children should be provided with a meal before venturing outdoors. This will discourage them from tucking into their goodies before completing the round, when they have been properly checked by an adult.

• All children should wear bright and reflective clothing to ensure they are visible to cars.
• Trick-or-treating should always be done in groups to ensure that they are not a target for real-life ghoulish opportunists!
• Map out a safe route in advance of familiar areas to visit.
• All children and their escorts should be provided with torches or flashlights that have been inserted with fresh batteries.
• Children should be discouraged from entering any homes where they are not familiar with the owner.
• When children return home the content of their goodies should be examined by an adult to ensure that they do not contain any unsuitable objects.

 Lantern carving

 Children under the age of 5 should not be allowed to carve pumpkins.

• Lighted pumpkins should be kept away from curtains and other flammable objects and not left unattended.