Ahead of Halloween night, child health experts from the HSE and Children’s Health Ireland have shared top tips for keeping your child safe over the holiday.
Halloween is an exciting time, but it is also one of the busiest nights of the year for emergency services.
Families are encouraged to follow the below tips to have a fun and safe Halloween.
Choosing a costume with care
Be aware of fire risks and look for the CE mark if buying fancy dress costumes. This means it has met European safety standards. Looking for a ‘flame resistant’ label is also important. There are often more candles and fire hazards around at Halloween and a flame resistant costume will protect your child better in the event of any accident.
Make sure costumes fit your child properly. Don’t dress them in oversized shoes or long material that could cause them to trip or fall.
Make sure children wear “normal” clothes under their costume, so that some protection may be given should the costume catch fire; and for added warmth if they are going out trick or treating.
Watch out for costumes or accessories with small parts. They may be a choking hazard for younger children.
Be safe and seen
The evenings are dark this time of year so it’s important to make sure your child can be seen when out and about.
Ideally your child should wear lighter coloured clothing or have a reflective strip on the front and back, or a high visibility vest and carry a torch. It is a good idea to avoid poorly lit areas and use footpaths where available. If you are driving at Halloween, remember to slow down and watch out for children in dark costumes out and about and treat or treating.
Trick or Treating
Make sure your child is supervised by an adult when trick or treating. If there is a group of children, having an adult at the front and back of the group is a good way to keep an eye on everyone.
Choking is a serious risk for children, particularly younger children. Check your child’s treats and remove treats that could cause choking aren’t in sealed packaging or look suspicious.
Fire safety
Avoid lighting candles around your home as these are a fire risk, try battery-operated candles instead. Make sure button batteries are out of reach of children. If using novelty Halloween lights, check that they have a visible CE mark and have full contact details of the manufacturer and importer.
Every year children get firework and bonfire-related injuries. Plan family fun and activities that don’t include fireworks and do not allow children attend unsupervised bonfires. Be cautious even at supervised bonfires. You never know when someone might throw something into the bonfire that could be highly flammable or toxic. Water or the appropriate fire extinguisher should always be nearby.
Most of the illegal fireworks and bangers on sale in markets and from street traders are manufactured without safety standards and can cause serious injuries to children.
Dr Abigail Collins, National Clinical Lead for the HSE’s Child Health Public Health Programme and Consultant in Public Health Medicine, says: “Halloween is an exciting time for children. Unfortunately, it is also a time where injuries can occur. The good news is a lot of injuries that happen at this time of year can be prevented by taking precautions. The mychild.ie section of the HSE website has an extensive child safety section to help parents and carers to reduce risks to children all year round, but still allow them to have fun.”
This is a republished 2022 article.
