Halloween is a time of year that can be fun and exciting but can also be a recipe for disaster if proper precautions aren’t taken. Dark colored clothing, trick or treating on dark streets and doing what we’ve told our kids to never do….take things from strangers. Thankfully, our community is pretty awesome and we always look out for our own – but there are still some things that we can do to keep our trick or treaters safe this Halloween.
During the Halloween season it is important to keep your child’s safety in mind when planning costumes, decorations, treats and activities. Make sure that Halloween is a safe and happy experience for the whole family by preparing ahead of time. Health Canada provides the following safety tips:
Ensure that your children are dressed appropriately for Halloween.
Look for costumes and accessories such as beards, wigs, wings and tails that are labelled flame-resistant. Flowing skirts and capes, baggy sleeves and over-sized costumes can all be hazards around candles or flames.
Pick brightly coloured costumes that can be clearly seen by motorists. Add reflective tape to the costume to increase visibility. Avoid costumes that are too big or have long dangling pieces that children can trip over and choose costumes that fit well and can be worn over warm clothing to protect your child against cold and wet weather.
Use make-up or face paint instead of masks – improperly fitted masks can interfere with your child’s vision or breathing. If you do choose a mask, make sure it fits properly and allows them to see and breathe easily.
Ensure that toy weapons and similar accessories are made of soft or flexible material. Hard or rigid costume accessories can cause accidents.
Halloween has also become a time to decorate houses and yards. Homes all over Chestermere can be seen with spooky (and the not so spooky) décor and illuminated blow up characters in the yard. As fun as that is, Health Canada wants people to avoid danger when decorating.
Stay vigilant for fire hazards and prevent injuries while getting into the spirit of Halloween.
To avoid injuries, let children draw a face or design on the pumpkin and then have an adult carve it.
Candles, jack-o-lanterns, lighters and matches are all fire hazards. Place lighted candles and jack-o-lanterns away from curtains and other flammable objects, and do not leave them unattended. Instead of candles, consider using a small flashlight or battery candle to light your jack-o-lantern.
Keep candles, matches, lighters and other fire hazards in a place that children cannot reach. Avoid using Halloween candles with multiple wicks. They can produce a large flame with intense heat that can ignite nearby materials like curtains and window sills.
Check indoor and outdoor decorative lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires or loose connections. Do not overload extension cords.
The Chestermere RCMP has been increasing in visibility and enforcement in the community – geared toward aggressive and impaired driving. Some of the activities that may have been noticed are dedicated check stops during peak dates and times. Check stops are planned for the Halloween season with a focus on these areas. Their key message is, “plan ahead, don’t drink and drive.”
Halloween this year is also a particular focus for road safety with the presence of our children going door to door for that “trick or treat”. Chestermere RCMP members will be visibly present during trick or treat hours to help ensure everyone can safely enjoy their Halloween.
A few tips and tricks to help us keep roads safe during Halloween:
MOTORISTS:
– Drive with caution when pedestrians and children are present;
– Do not use hand held devices or any other distractive device while driving through our streets;
– Maintain safe speeds. The slower the better when children are present;
– Scan ahead particularly for pedestrian cross walks and intersections;
– Make eye contact with pedestrians intending to cross streets;
– Yield to pedestrians;
– Avoid blocking traffic in congested residential areas; and
– Don’t drink and drive.
PEDESTRIANS/TRICK OR TREATERS:
– Make sure you wear something highly visible (reflective tape, high visibility clothing);
– Look both ways before crossing streets or intersections;
– Make sure motorists see you and make eye contact with the driver to ensure they know you are there;
– Use sidewalks and avoid walking down streets; and
– Stay with your parents.
Once you get your little goblins home, always examine the treats and toys that are brought home before giving them to your children. Tell your children not to eat any treats until you have looked them over.
Be careful when giving children any treats that could be potential choking hazards such as chewy candies, peanuts and hard candies and check toys or novelty items for small parts and do not let children under three years of age play with them.
With Halloween only a few days away, it’s a great time to meet your neighbours, hang out with those you already know and maybe even give someone a friendly scare….
It’s Halloween – author unknown
It’s Halloween! It’s Halloween!
The moon is full and bright
And we shall see what can’t be seen
on any other night:
Skeletons and ghosts and ghouls,
Grinning goblins fighting duels,
Werewolves rising from their tombs,
Witches on their magic brooms.
