Fort Sanders Regional Provides Tips on Avoiding Hazards this Halloween

What’s scarier than ghouls, goblins and ghosts? Causing a preventable accident because your family and your home weren’t properly prepared for Halloween. While Halloween is full of fun, costumes, candy and a little bit of horror for the older kids, preparing yourself and your family for the holiday is no small feat. Here are some tips for a safe and thrilling night this Halloween.

Costumes

Safety begins at home with your child’s costume. Read the following tips from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC):

• Every part of the costume should be made of flame-resistant material. When buying a costume, look for “Flame Resistant” on the label.
• To lessen the chance of coming into contact with an open flame, costumes should not have big, loose sleeves, skirts or pant legs.
• Purchase or make costumes that are light and bright enough to be 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 should also be light-colored or decorated with reflective tape.
• To easily see and be seen, children should carry flashlights.
• Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling.
• Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes. Mom’s high heels are not good for safe walking.
• Hats and scarves should be tied securely to prevent them from slipping over children’s eyes.
• Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be made of soft and flexible material.

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This year, with concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic still present, be sure your child is wearing a face mask inside and outside when social distancing of more than six feet is not possible. Try incorporating the mask into their costume if they don’t understand why they have to wear one. [/bs_well]

Around the Home

• To make your home safe and inviting for trick-or-treaters, leave your front lights on so they have a well-lit path to your door.
• Remove items such as planters, hoses and lawn decorations so your visitors don’t trip on them.
• Keep pets inside, out of harm’s way.
• Place candle-lit jack-o’-lanterns far away from the door, so tiny goblins won’t accidentally brush against them. Keep your indoor jack-o’-lanterns away from curtains and any decorations that could catch fire.
• The CPSC recommends against using candle-lit jack-o-lanterns or Halloween luminaries along your walkway; instead, place flashlights inside the pumkin or bags.

On the Streets

• Young children should trick-or-treat with an adult or a responsible older child.
• If you are not walking with your children, make sure you know who is with them. Set a time for them to be home. Have them carry a cell phone in case of emergency.
• Instruct children to stay on the sidewalk and out of the roadway.
• Remind them to walk, not run, and to go to houses only where they know the people inside. They should avoid unfamiliar houses and lawns where ornaments, furniture, and even tree stumps can cause them to trip. They should never enter a house unless they are with a grown-up.
• Instruct your kids not to eat any of their goodies until a grown-up has had a chance to carefully examine them.
• Make sure your kids eat a healthy meal before trick-or-treating so they’ll be less likely to over-indulge on candy.

While you do your best to prevent accidents, little ghouls and goblins can still find their way into trouble. If you or your loved one needs emergency help, don’t delay going to your nearest emergency room. On holidays and every day, the dedicated staff at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is ready to care for you at any time.