It’s that time of the year again, when on 31st October we will be celebrating Halloween. This is the night when ghosts, witches and fairies are out there making their presence felt and spooking us. Halloween is a time of celebration and also superstition and it’s thought to have originated from the Celtic festival of Samhain. During the festival of Samhain, people would light bonfires and wear animal costumes to ward off ghosts and ghouls. Banquet tables would be laden with food to placate the spirit world.
Sadly, Halloween is also the time of year when many adults and children are injured.
DB Fire Safety would like to offer you some advice to help you reduce any fire risk this Halloween.
- First of all be very careful when choosing your Halloween costume, more especially the material and design. Check the label carefully and only choose a fire resistant material.
- Avoid witches’ costumes which have a train. Not only can a train cause you to trip, it can also come into contact with a candle or open fire and catch light.
- A DIY costume made from black bin liners will capture the mood of Halloween but, they are not fire resistant and could easily go up in flames.
- When out trick or treating, it’s much better to take a torch rather than a lighted candle. Glowsticks are another safe option.
- Now what do we do about lighting the star of the show – The Pumpkin. DB Fire Safety would advise not to use a candle but instead spooky effects can easily be created by using a torch or even a battery candle.
- Are you thinking of throwing a Halloween Party. Stay safe from fires by
- Keeping paper decorations well away from lit candles
- Don’t overload your sockets
- Take care not to block any exits just in case there is a fire and have an evacuation plan.
- If clothes do catch fire, then the tried and tested method of “Stop, Drop & Roll” continues to be effective.
Best to safe then sorry. Do have a happy, but safe, Halloween
