Safety Tips for Halloween

Bucks County personal injury lawyer,  Joyce J. Sweinberg, Esquire, wants to wish all of you a happy and safe Halloween!!!
  
Here are some suggestions from ACH Injury Prevention Center to help your trick-or-treaters have a fun and injury-free Halloween... 

Costume safety:

• Costumes should be brightly colored and made of flame-retardant fabric
• Be careful around candles and luminaries
• Avoid costumes that drag the ground and cause a tripping hazard
• Make sure that shoes fit properly to avoid tripping
• Use reflective tape on costumes or provide children with flashlights, glow sticks or glow-in-the-dark bracelets so cars can see them;
• Masks should not obscure the child’s vision
• Face paint is a good option, but be careful to avoid skin and eye irritation
• Carry only flexible “weapons” (knives, swords and other props)
• Have your child carry some form of I.D. with emergency contact information.

Safety:

• Select a predetermined route for your children
• Trick-or-treat in familiar neighborhoods and visit only houses that are lighted
• Instruct children to never enter the home of a stranger
• Children should trick or treat in groups and be accompanied by a responsible adult or older sibling
• If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left side of the road facing oncoming traffic
• Watch for oncoming traffic when crossing a street to visit the next house
• Remain on well-lighted streets.

Candy safety:

• Instruct children to bring candy home to be inspected before they eat it
• Dispose of any loosely wrapped or unwrapped items, or those that have any suspicious-looking marks or punctures
• Small hard candies, popcorn, peanuts and very sticky candy can be possible choking hazards for children 3 years of age and under
• Throw away homemade treats.

Driving safety:

• Drive slowly and watch carefully for children crossing the street
• Check for children before backing out of driveways
• With children on the streets, it is especially important to put down the cell phone and not text behind the wheel
• Keep car headlights on to ensure you see all little ones nearby
• Be sure to use your child’s car seat or booster seat each time you get in the car, even if you’re only traveling a short distance.

Homeowners:

• If trick-or-treaters are welcome at your home, leave the porch light on
• Remove any tripping hazards from the lawn and walkways to the home
• Try using strings or lights instead of candles, which can cause fires
• Consider healthy food alternatives or non-food treats.

 Taken from expert-tips-for-a-safe-halloween

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