Halloween Safety HALLOWEEN SAFETY Written by Mr. Hopper, CIH.

Halloween Safety

HALLOWEEN SAFETYWritten by Mr. Hopper, CIH

• USAG Safety staff• Halloween accident statistics• Safety tips for kids• Safety tips for adults• Safety tips for parties• Safety tips for yard haunts• Safety tips for pets• Safety tips for trick or treating

Topics

ACCIDENT STATISTICS

Roughly four times as many children aged 5-14 are killed while walking on Halloween evening compared with other evenings of the year.

Falls are a leading cause of injuries among children on Halloween.

Many Halloween-related injuries can be prevented if parents closely supervise school-aged children during trick-or-treat activities.

Accident Statistics

SAFETY TIPS FOR KIDS

Simple common sense can do a lot to stop any tragedies from happening.

Excitement of children and adults at this time of year sometimes makes them forget to be careful.

Teaching your kids everyday safety will make your holiday considerably safer. Don’t get into cars or talk to strangers. Watch both ways before crossing the street. Cross only when the lights tell you to.

Safety Tips for Kids


Be careful when selecting a costume. Help your child pick out or make a costume

that will be safe. Make sure the costume is fire proof. The eye holes should be large enough for

good peripheral vision. Decorate costumes, bags and sacks with

retro-reflective tape or stickers.


If you child is carrying a prop make sure the tip is smooth and flexible and they will not cause

injury if fallen on.


Loose costumes, oversized bags or unsafe shoes can cause falls and accidents.

If wearing a mask: Choose one that is cool and

comfortable. Take the mask off before crossing

the street. Better yet, wear make-up instead

of a mask.


Billowing costumes and flowing false-hair wigs, beards, or other hairy items are unsafe around flames or candles.


Kids always want to help with the pumpkin carving. Small children shouldn't be allowed

to use a sharp knife to cut the top or the face.

There are many kits available that come with tiny saws that work better then knives and are safer, although you can be cut by them as well.

It's best to let the kids clean out the pumpkin and draw a face on it, which you can carve for them.

DON’T ALLOW THIS!


Traffic safety is paramount. Children need to walk, NOT run,

while trick-or-treating. Teach children to look left, right

and left again before crossing the street.

Children should only cross the street at intersections and crosswalks (if possible).

Children should never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.

DON’T ALLOW THIS!


Clotheslines or telephone pole support wires are invisible at night.

Lawn ornaments (i.e., bird baths, animal figurines, decorative curbing, etc.) are “hidden hazards” in the dark.

Teach children not to cut across yards.

SAFETY TIPS FOR ADULTS

Safety Tips for Adults

Know the route your kids will be taking if you aren't going with them.

The best bet is to make sure that an adult is going with them. If you can't take them, see if another parent or a teen aged sibling can go along.

Know what other activities a child may be attending, such as parties, school, or mall functions.


Make sure you set a time that they should be home by.

Make sure they know how important it is for them to be home on time.

Tell children to never enter a home or apartment building unless accompanied by an adult.

Children should not snack while they are out on Halloween. To help prevent your children from munching on candy, make sure they eat a light meal before they go.


Make sure your children know how to reach you in case of an emergency! Remind your children of their home number and write the

number down on a slip of paper and have them take it with them

Make sure they know how to call 9-1-1 for an emergency. • If you are on Fort Sam Houston, you need to identify

your location so your call can be transferred to the Fire Department.

• You can dial 554-4713 to reach the Fort Sam Houston Fire and Emergency Services directly.


Explain to children the difference between tricks and vandalism. Waxed windows can be difficult to

clean. Throwing eggs at a house or car may

seem like fun but they need to know the other side of the coin as well. • Clean up and damages can ruin

Halloween. • If they are caught vandalizing,

make them clean up the mess they've made.


Explain to your kids that animal cruelty is not acceptable.

Kids may know this on their own but peer pressure can be a bad thing.

Make sure that they know that harming animals is not only morally wrong but punishable by law and will not be tolerated.


Homeowners can help make Halloween safer for distracted trick-or-treaters by keeping pets who may become frightened or too excited away from youngsters.

You can also try using battery powered jack o'lanterns instead of a candle.

If you do use candles, place them well away from the trick-or-treaters.

SAFETY TIPS FOR PARTIES

Safety Tips for Parties

Adults like to have as much fun during Halloween as the kids do! Keep an eye on the drinking, don't let

it get out of hand. Take the keys away from anyone that

may be driving. Have one person stay sober and offer

to drive those people home who may be too intoxicated to drive.


If you are having an indoor party: Put your pet in a room where they won’t

be disturbed. Be careful your pet doesn't run out the

door while you are handing out candy. Make sure your pet has an identification

collar so they can be returned to you should they “escape”.


If you are using dry ice in a punch bowl: Keep the dry ice chips out of

the drinks. Dry ice is -109.3 °F and can

cause severe injury if swallowed.

Handle dry ice with gloves to prevent frost bite.

SAFETY TIPS FOR YARD HAUNTS

Safety Tips for Yard Haunts

Consider getting extra home owners insurance for the nights people view the haunt. Nothing puts a damper on

holiday fun like a law suit. Insurance companies can

provide the extra insurance for short periods of time.

The cost of insurance far outweighs the cost of a lawsuit.

Safety Tips for Yard Haunts

Make sure walk ways are far enough from things so people can’t trip over them. Use battery powered light sources

or light sticks instead of candles. Because it stains, make sure fake

blood does not contact visitors, pets or children.

If you have a gruesome haunt, put up warning signs to forewarn people with weak stomachs.

SAFETY TIPS FOR PETS

Safety Tips for Pets

As much as your dog or cat may beg for candy, remember chocolate can deadly to them in any amount!

Candy wrappers can be dangerous. Tin foil or plastic can get stuck in the

digestive tract. Can cause serious illness and death.

Safety Tips for Pets

Dressing your pet up in a costume can be extremely stressful (for the pet). It may cause them discomfort

and distress. If you put a mask on your pet,

make sure the holes are large enough for them to see through.

Even the nicest pet can become very hostile and bite or scratch.

SAFETY TIPS FOR TRICK OR TREATING

Safety Tips for Trick or Treating

Tell children not to accept or eat anything that is not commercially wrapped or that looks homemade.

When children bring their bags home, check their treats for any unusual appearance, colors, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers.

Throw away anything that looks suspicious.


Have your child dump out all the candy onto a table in a well-lit room. To be extra safe, separate out all the homemade

goodies or fresh fruit. Unless you know the person who packed little bags

of homemade treats or gave the fruit, you might want to throw these items out.

Remove and toss out all unwrapped candy. Gently inspect the remainder for any evidence of

damage or tampering.


There are several problems with x-raying Halloween items. It would be obvious to most people if a razor blade or pins

were stuck in an apple or candy bar. X-raying provides a false sense of security, since the process

would reveal metal, and possibly glass, but would not detect poison.

It's unnecessary: if in doubt, throw it out! Children are in far more danger from being hit by a car on a dark

street.

HAVE A SAFE HALLOWEEN!!!!!

BE SAFE TODAY SO YOU CAN ENJOY TOMORROW’S SUNRISE

REMEMBER

SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT!

End of Presentation

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Halloween Safety HALLOWEEN SAFETY Written by Mr. Hopper, CIH.

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