Halloween Safety Hazards

The excitement of Halloween can make children

forget some of the safety rules they have learned.

Lit jack-o-lanterns, flimsy or complicated costumes,

street traffic and unsafe treats all have the

potential to turn this fun occasion into a family

tragedy.

Health and Safety Hazards of

Halloween

Costumes • Cold weather can be harmful if children are

dressed in costumes or clothes that don’t

protect them. • Long costumes can be a tripping hazard for

children. • Improper masks can interfere with a child’s

vision or breathing. • Swords, knives and other accessories should

always be made of flexible

material. • Flimsy materials, flowing skirts and baggy

sleeves can all be hazards around candles or

flames. • Coloured contact lenses that change eye

colour can be a hazard.

Decorations • Carving pumpkins can cause injuries. • Candles, jack-o-lanterns, lighters and matches

are all fire hazards. • Indoor and outdoor decorative lights that are

substandard, cracked or frayed can be fire

hazards. • Halloween candles with multiple wicks close

to one another can produce a single high

flame or several large flames that produce

intense heat and can ignite nearby materials

such as curtains and window sills.

Trick or Treating • Children who are not accompanied by an

adult are vulnerable to injury, bullying by

older children or predators. • Children running across the street and off the

sidewalks risk a collision with a motor vehicle. • Unwrapped treats or those in loose

packaging from unknown sources may

be unsafe to eat.

Minimizing Your Risk

Taking these steps can ensure everyone has a

good time.

Costumes • Choose costumes that are loose enough to

be worn over warm clothing, but not baggy

enough that children trip over them. • Pick brightly coloured costumes that

can be clearly seen by motorists.

Add reflective tape to the costume to

increase visibility. • Use make-up or face paint rather than

masks. If you do choose a mask, make

sure it allows your child to see and breathe

properly. • Look for costumes, beards and wigs that are

labelled “Flame-Resistant.” Nylon or heavyweight

polyester costumes are best. Even so, “Flame-Resistant” does not mean fire- proof.

Avoid costumes with baggy sleeves or flowing

skirts that could catch fire from flames

and candles.

HALLOWEEN SAFETY

Health

Canada

Santé

Canada It’s It’ss Yoourr Heeaalltth

This article was produced in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Need More Info?

For more information on Halloween safety,

contact the following.

Health Canada

Have a Safe and Spooky Halloween :

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/securit/

season- saison/hal/index_e.html

Costumes and Dress-Up :

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/child-enfant/

access/costumes/index_e.html

Children’s Jewellery :

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/child-enfant/

access/jewel-bij/index_e.html

Cosmetics and Personal Care Products :

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/person/

cosmet/index_e.html

Candles :

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/

house-domes/fire-feu/cand-boug/

index_e.html

Contact Consumer Product Safety by

calling 1-866-662-0666. Calls will be

routed to the nearest regional Product

Safety Office.

Or visit:

Canadian Paediatric Society, Halloween

Safety: Tips for parents and kids

www.caringforkids.cps.ca/

keepingkidssafe/HalloweenSafety.htm

Government of Canada, Halloween

Safety Tips

www.safecanada.ca/

link_e.asp?category=21&topic=133

Canadian Food Inspection Agency,

Food Safety Tips for Halloween

www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/

concen/tipcon/hallowe.shtml

For additional articles on health and

safety issues go to the It's Your Health

Web site at:

www.healthcanada.gc.ca/iyh

You can also call toll free at

1-866-225-0709

or TTY at 1-800-267-1245* • Avoid contact lenses that change

the colour of the eyes. They should

only be used under the supervision

of an eye-care professional.

Decorating • Only adults should carve pumpkins.

Let children draw a face on the

pumpkin, which you can carve. • Keep candles, jack-o-lanterns,

matches and lighters in a place that

children cannot reach. • Instead of candles, consider using a

small flashlight to light the

jack-o-lantern. • Make your home safe for ghouls

and goblins by removing objects

around the outside of your house

that could cause children to trip or

fall. Turn on your outside lights so

that children know they can visit

your place. • If you are using indoor or outdoor

decorative lights, make sure they

are certified by a recognized

organization such as the Canadian

Standards Association or the

Underwriters’ Laboratory of Canada.

Check lights for broken or cracked

sockets, frayed or bare wires or

loose connections. Do not overload

extension cords. • Keep pets inside and away from

trick or treaters and lit candles,

especially if they are easily

frightened or over-excitable.

Trick or Treating • Go trick or treating with your

children each year until they are old

enough to go by themselves. When

they are old enough, make sure

they go with a buddy or in a group.

Or follow along at a distance to

keep an eye on them. • Tell your children to walk, not run

from house to house and to stay on

the sidewalk or at the side of the

road facing traffic. They should only

cross the road at the corner and

look both ways before crossing. • Tell your children to stay in well-lit

areas and only visit homes that

have their outside lights turned on.

Make sure they know never to go

inside homes or cars. • Give each child a flashlight to carry,

to make them more

visible. • Tell your children not to eat any

goodies until you have looked them

over. Serve dinner before the children

go out, so that they will be less

tempted to eat goodies along the

way. • It is a good idea for you or your child

to take a backpack along, to empty

goodies into if the loot bag becomes

too heavy. • Examine the treats your children

bring home before they start eating

them. Throw out any treats that are

not wrapped, have loose or torn

wrappers or have holes in the

wrappers. • Check toys or novelty items for

small parts and do not let children

under three years of age play with

them. • You might want to consider an

alternative to sugar-based treats,

such as sugarless gum. Stickers,

multi-coloured pencils or beads can

be a nice replacement for, or an

addition to, traditional treats. Ask

your children for suggestions. • For diabetic children, let them eat

the potato chips, peanuts and

sugar-free gum from the loot bags.

They can also keep some of the

other treats, such as chocolate and

candy, which can fit into their meal

plan in the following days or weeks.

Leftover treats can be traded with

other children or given to less

fortunate kids.

General Safety • If you are driving on Halloween, be

aware of children. Slow down and

enter and exit driveways and alleyways

cautiously.

Government of

Canada's Role

Health Canada provides information

related to the health and safety of the

Canadian public. It administers and

enforces the Hazardous Products Act

and its Regulations.