Have a spooky and safe Halloween

Every year many adults and children are injured when lit candles come into contact with trailing costumes and wigs.

Battery operated candles are the safest way to light up scary things at Halloween. However if you do have naked flames around, make sure pumpkins, candles and other lights are placed well away from anything that can burn. Please don’t put them too close to paths where ‘trick or treaters’ will walk, as their flowing costumes might catch fire.

It is important that children know what to do if their clothing is set alight. You can make a game of teaching your children to “Stop, drop, cover and roll” if their costume does catch light. This means having them practice stopping still, dropping to the ground, covering their face with hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out.

Here are our top Halloween safety tips:

• When choosing or making a costume, avoid billowing or long trailing fabric and make sure
  it is flame retardant.
• Keep an eye on children at all times when around lit candles.
• Teach children how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire.
• Keep flowing items like fake hair and capes away from candle and other flames.
• If your child is wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so they can see clearly.
• Place candles, pumpkins or any flame out of way of trick-or-treaters, doorways and paths.
• Use a torch or battery candles in pumpkins rather than candles.
• Keep pets safely away from any lit flames.

You can also find this information within the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service document halloween_flyer_sfrs