Look after yourself, your family and your neighbours at Halloween (while still enjoying the fun) with our spooky health and safety tips...
The dangers of 'fancy dress'
Children's costumes are sold as toys in the UK and making them fire resistant is voluntary for manufacturers. The voluntary test was set up following an incident in 2014 when the daughter of TV presenter Claudia Winkleman suffered serious burns while wearing an unsafe costume, and many leading stores now test their costumes in this way.
However, a recent Which? test found that some costumes currently on sale that meet UK legal requirements did not pass the voluntary standard. So it's important to check labelling on costumes and packaging, and always take care with costumes around naked flames.
The video below, from Greater Manchester Police, shows the dangers of Halloween costumes and fire.
Make the switch to fairy lights
Carving spooky faces on pumpkins and using them as candlelit lanterns is a firm Halloween tradition... just take care! Limit risk of injury by using a serrated knife for carving, rather than a cooks' knife.
Once your creation is finished, make your lantern safer by using fairy lights inside instead of candles. If you are using lit candles, make sure they are firmly fixed in place and (as with all candles) never leave a lantern unattended when lit.
Trick-or-treat? Not perhaps such a major Halloween activity here as it is in the US, nevertheless it's good to know the less obvious dangers. A lot of sweets contain ingredients that can cause fatal allergic reactions. With food allergies and autoimmune diseases such as coeliac disease on the rise, it's a good idea to keep non-food related items (such as stickers or glow sticks) in the house as well as sweets if you plan to indulge the local children.
To find out how Penarth Management Limited can help your business gain health and safety accreditation and compliance, please contact us at info@penarth.co.uk or on 029 2070 3328.