Staying Safe Around Halloween

Can you believe it’s that time of year again? October is coming to a close and many of us are anticipating Halloween with a touch of nostalgia for simpler times. Whether you’re making your own costume, or helping a friend or your kids with theirs, often the last touches are frantically added at the last minute, before the trick-or-treating begins.

Some of us choose private parties while others go door-to-door. Whatever your plans are for this Halloween, we’d like to share 13 safety tips that we’ve compiled, courtesy of BC RCMP, Canadian Red Cross and Consumer Protection BC:

Keep the path leading up to your door clear of obstacles for the little ones. After all, many of them will be wearing vision-limiting masks etc.
Keep pets indoors. Many pets get frightened on Halloween and may act erratically out of confusion.
Consider using safety glow sticks instead of candles in your jack-o-lanterns.
Make sure your children’s costumes are highly visible, by choosing bright or light colours, and adding reflective armbands or tape. It’s also a good idea if your costumes are flame resistant.
Remind children to stay away from candles and other open flames.
Choose costumes that are not tripping hazards, with shoes that fit properly, and head pieces or masks that don’t reduce visibility (or reduce it as minimally as possible). In fact, it’s a good idea to use face paint instead of masks.
Bring flashlights and glow sticks. It gets dark quickly on October 31!
Make sure that any “weapons” are safe and that they look fake, so as not to trigger any alarm from strangers or other kids.
Talk about being street smart with your kids. It’s also a good idea to teach your kids to bring their treats home before eating them, so you can have a good look at them first to make sure they’re safe.
Only visit houses that are lit, and don’t cut across lawns. Remind your kids to walk instead of running, and keep them a safe distance from fireworks.
Plan your trick-or-treating route beforehand and don’t be afraid to be a helicopter parent on this special night when kids are giddy with excitement.
If your kids are old enough to go out alone, make sure that they’re going with a group of at least 4 or 5 friends.
If you’re going to drink at a Halloween party, make sure you have a safe ride home.

Above all, remember to have fun this Halloween and get excited about an event that draws together families, friends and communities! After all, getting to know your community is an important step towards being safe and prepared for emergencies of all kinds.

-Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io