Halloween Safety Tips to Avoid Truly Scary Situations

Halloween offers many fun fall activities for families. From hayrides and pumpkin carving to haunted houses and trick-or-treating, thrills and chills abound for kids and adults. But Halloween can also be a dangerous time of year if you ignore some commonsense safety steps. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that a total of 4,500 Halloween-related injuries occurred in 2017, stemming from everything from pumpkin carving gone wrong to falls and costume-related injuries. To make this holiday both safe and fun, we’ve listed some of the top Halloween safety tips for you and your loved ones.

Read on to learn about conscientious pumpkin carving, safe trick-or-treating, and protecting those little ghosts and ghouls who visit your property from bumps, bruises, and burns.

According to Dr. Jeffrey Wint from The Hand Center of Western Massachusetts, severe hand and finger injuries are common around Halloween—and pumpkin carving is the main culprit. There are several steps you can take to minimize the risks of stabs and cuts while you’re creating those jack-o’-lantern masterpieces.

Never allow small children to carve their own pumpkins. They can draw the face on with markers, scoop out the pulp and seeds, and then pass the pumpkin on to a parent to carve. Another option for young kids is to decorate their pumpkins with paint, glitter, or stickers. Even older children should be supervised while carving.

According to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH), you should choose a sturdy carving surface in a well-lit area. Make sure the area, the carving tools, your hands, and the pumpkin are all clean and dry. It’s better to use a duller knife than an extremely sharp one, as you’re less likely to accidentally stab all the way through the pumpkin to where your hand may be. Pumpkin carving kits, which come with small, serrated pumpkin saws, are an even safer alternative to regular kitchen knives.

It’s best to carve a pumpkin before cutting off the top and scooping out the insides, so you’re not tempted to put your hand inside to hold it while carving. In any case, always cut away from yourself, using small controlled strokes. Also, make sure to clean up any pulpy messes right away to avoid the danger of slipping and falling.

Battery-operated candles, glow sticks, and flashlights make much safer sources of illumination for jack-o’-lanterns than traditional candles. If you do decide to take the risk of using candles, consider carving a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin instead of the top. This way, you can light the candle and then set the jack-o’-lantern over it, rather than having to reach awkwardly inside to light the candle—which puts you at risk for burns. And never leave candlelit pumpkins unattended, near flammable materials, or near walkways.

Whether you’re making or buying Halloween costumes, it’s important to make sure that they fit properly to prevent trips and falls. Accessories like wigs and artificial beards also need to fit well so that they stay in place and don’t slip up or down, obscuring vision or breathing. Masks can limit or block vision as well, so consider using makeup and decorative hats or headbands instead—or at least don’t wear masks in risky areas like crossing streets with heavy traffic.

You’ll also want to check that any accessories that come with the costume are safe. Things like swords, canes, and wands need to be properly sized, dull (no sharp points or edges), and flexible. If you dress up babies or toddlers, don’t allow them to have costume accessories that could act as choking hazards.

When purchasing costumes and accessories, only choose those labeled as flame-resistant. And for safe trick-or-treating, pick costumes and treat bags that are bright and/or reflective. If necessary, you can add reflective tape to any costume or accessorize with glow sticks. Also, beware of any makeup or latex that may cause an allergic reaction—test it on a small patch of skin first—and you may want to avoid using colored contacts unless they have been fitted by an eye care professional.

There are some things you can do to ensure safe trick-or-treating for your children before they even head out the door. Review your address and phone number with them before you leave so that if they get separated from you, they can tell a trustworthy adult where they live and how to contact you.

For younger children who may not remember this information, attach a name tag with your phone number and home address to their costumes. It’s also a good idea to use your phone to take pictures of your kids in their costumes before trick-or-treating; if you do need help looking for them, you can show people exactly what they look like.

Younger children should always be accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult when trick-or-treating. If you’d like to let older kids trick-or-treat without an adult chaperone, have them go in a group. Plan an approved route in advance and give the children a specific time to be home. They can carry a cell phone to contact you if necessary, but remind them not to look at it while they’re walking. Send flashlights with fresh batteries with kids or have them carry glow sticks so that they can see where they’re going, and be easily seen by others.

Remind children to only go to homes with their porch lights on and to never enter a stranger’s home or car. Don’t let your kids eat any treats until you’ve inspected them—and never allow them to eat unwrapped treats handed out by people you don’t know. Throw away any candy with damaged or open packaging. And keep very small treats away from infants and young children, to prevent choking.

Following pedestrian safety practices is particularly important when trick-or-treating. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, pedestrian injuries are the most common injuries that happen to children on Halloween. In fact, Safe Kids Worldwide has found that “twice as many kids are killed while walking on Halloween than on any other day of the year.”

To prevent pedestrian injuries, remind kids to always walk, never run. Stay on familiar, well-lit streets and always use sidewalks when possible. Only use marked crosswalks to cross the street, and cross in groups rather than alone. Never assume that drivers see you or will stop for you—before you cross the street, look left, right, and then left again.

If you choose to join in the festivities by handing out treats on Halloween, prepare your home so that no one gets hurts while on your property. Start by removing any tripping hazards (hoses, toys, bikes, lawn décor, etc.) from walkways, porches, and the surrounding areas. Rake up any wet leaves from those areas as well, to prevent slips and falls.

Replace any burned out exterior lightbulbs and make sure walkways are well-lit. If you have pets, keep them restrained on a leash or in a back room or crate while trick-or-treaters are out and about. Even if your pets are well-behaved, they may scare little ones (and their protective parents).

And if you choose to display jack o’ lanterns outdoors, never use traditional candles for illumination during trick-or-treating time. It only takes a second for a trailing cape or too-long pant leg to catch on fire if a little one passes near your pumpkins. Use the alternate safe lighting sources we discussed earlier—battery-lit candles, glow sticks, or flashlights.

If you have a home security system, turn it off before trick-or-treating begins and remember to arm it again before you go to bed. With so many strangers coming and going on Halloween, doorbell cameras help you see exactly who’s at the door before you open it—and they can help you catch any mischief-makers that might take the trick-or-treat spirit a little too far.

For more detail on Halloween safety risks and exactly how a smart home security system can increase safety, read this blog.

Practicing smart Halloween safety is just as important as creativity when carving jack o’ lanterns. Costumes should be both fun and safe to wear. Prepare properly for trick-or-treating and follow safe practices while out and about. Make sure your property is ready for visitors (and yourself).

Follow these Halloween safety tips, and you and your family can enjoy a spookily great time this fall—with no injuries, lost little ones, or property damage to spoil your fun.

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