Published on October 25, 2022

Safety Tips to Keep Hazards from Haunting Your Halloween

If you’re not careful, the annual Halloween rituals of pumpkin carving, decorating your home, and trick-or-treating can be spoiled by a trip to the Emergency Room.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that an annual average of 3,200 Halloween-related injuries were treated in U.S. emergency departments.

Here’s how the injuries break down:

  • 55% were related to pumpkin carving;
  • 25% were due to falls while putting up or taking down decorations, tripping on costumes, or walking while trick-or-treating;
  • 20% of the injuries included lacerations, ingestions, and other injuries associated with costumes, pumpkins, or decorations, and allergic reactions or rashes.

Among the injured, 54 percent were adults 18 years and over, 46 percent were under 18 years old, and about 10 percent of all injuries were to children six years old or younger.

Stay safe this Halloween by observing the following safety tips:


Pumpkin Carving:

  • Leave pumpkin carving to the adults. Child helpers can grab a spoon and scoop out the inside or use a marker to trace the design.
  • When your jack-o’-lantern masterpiece is ready, use battery-operated lights or glow sticks rather than an open-flame candle.
    • If using open-flame candles, keep them away from curtains, decorations, and other combustibles that could catch fire.
    • Never leave burning candles unattended.

Costumes:

  • • Wear a costume that fits and avoid overly long or baggy costumes to prevent trips and falls.
  • Costumes with loose, flowing fabrics can also be a fire hazard when close to open flames – keep away.
  • Reduce fire hazards by choosing costumes made of polyester or nylon fabric and not sheer cotton or rayon fabric. However, any material can burn if it comes in contact with an open flame.
  • Eye and nose holes in masks should permit full visibility and adequate breathing. Makeup may be a safer alternative to a mask.
  • Use reflective tape as a trim for costumes and outerwear to help be seen in lower light. Wearing a brightly colored costume and carrying a flashlight or glow stick can also help brighten the walkways for trick-or-treaters.

Decorating:

  • Prevent fires by using battery-operated lights and glow sticks instead of candles.
  • Pay attention to the placement of decorations. To help prevent falls, remove obstacles from lawns, steps, and porches when expecting trick-or-treaters.
  • Use CPSC’s ladder safety tips to prevent injuries while putting up or taking down decorations.

Indoors or outside, only use lights tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory. Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Discard damaged sets.

Drive Extra Safely on Halloween:

  • Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited about Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
  • Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians, and curbs.
  • Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully.
  • Eliminate distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
  • Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances.
  • Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., so be especially alert for kids during those hours.