Tips for a Fun, Safe Halloween

Halloween is a great excuse for both kids and adults to embrace their alter-egos and have some spooky fun.  With all of the action this holiday generates, we thought that tips on keeping it safe and still having fun are in order. 

Costumes

• Swords, knives, and other costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
• Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
• Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
• Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.
• Never walk near lit candles or luminaries.
• Purchase or make costumes that are light and bright enough to be clearly visible to motorists.

Trick or Treating

• Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you.
• Always WALK and don't run from house to house.
• Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
• Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
• Children shouldn’t snack while they’re out trick-or-treating.  Urge your children to wait until they get home and you have had a chance to inspect the contents of their “goody bags.” 
• Children should be cautioned against running out from between parked cars, or
• across lawns and yards where ornaments, furniture, or clotheslines present dangers. 

Party Time

• Consider using battery powered candles to illuminate pumpkins and decorations on the floor, steps, or low tables.
• Before going "bobbing for apples," an all-time favorite Halloween game, reduce the number of bacteria that might be present on apples and other raw fruits and vegetables by thoroughly rinsing them under cool running As an added precaution, use a produce brush to remove surface dirt.
• "Scare" bacteria away by keeping all perishable foods chilled until serving time. These include, for example, finger sandwiches, cheese platters, fruit or tossed salads, cold pasta dishes with meat, poultry, or seafood, and cream pies or cakes with whipped-cream and cream-cheese frostings. Cold temperatures help keep most harmful bacteria from multiplying. And don't leave the food at room temperature for more than two-hours.
• And please drink responsibly. Choose a designated driver.

Face Painting

• Decorating your face with face paint or other makeup lets you see better than you can if you're wearing a mask. A mask can make it hard to see where you're going and watch out for cars. But make sure your painted-on designs don't cause problems of their own.
• Follow all directions carefully.
• Don't decorate your face with things that aren't intended for your skin.
• If your face paint has a very bad smell, this could be a sign that it is contaminated. Throw it away and use another one.
• Like soap, some things are OK on your skin, but not in your eyes. Some face paint or other makeup may say on the label that it is not for use near the eyes. Believe this, even if the label has a picture of people wearing it near their eyes. Be careful to keep makeup from getting into your eyes.
• Even products intended for use near your eyes can sometimes irritate your skin if you use too much.
• If you're decorating your skin with something you've never used before, you might try a dab of it on your arm for a couple of days to check for an allergic reaction BEFOREyou put it on your face. This is an especially smart thing to do if you tend to have allergies. 
• Don't go to bed with your makeup on. Wearing it too long might irritate your skin, and bits of makeup can flake off or smear and get into your eyes, not to mention mess up your pillow.
• How you take the stuff off is as important as how you put it on. Remove it the way the label says. If it says to remove it with cold cream, use cold cream. If it says to remove it with soap and water, use soap and water. If it says to remove it with eye makeup remover, use eye makeup remover. You get the picture. The same goes for removing glue, like the stuff that holds on fake beards.

Sources

For more Halloween Safety information, click on the links below.

Center for Disease Control  

U.S. Food and Drug Administration 

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission  

Have a Spooky, Fun, and Happy Halloween

We hope that you have a wonderful Halloween.  As always, we are here to answer your insurance questions and support you in choosing the right insurance for your individual situation.

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