Halloween is all about the big fun. Between the dressing up, the candy, and just the right amount of scariness, only the crabbiest of people dislike the holiday. If you aren’t careful, though, all the fun can be sucked out faster than a hooligan will run away after egging your car.
The danger is: costumes. One of the best parts about Halloween can also be the deadliest. If you don’t know how to make or purchase a safe costume, you (or, God forbid, your children) could be at risk.
Between open flames, drapey costumes, darkness, head-covering masks, and the temptation to use sharp or otherwise potentially dangerous accessories, Halloween is a night in the ER–or a personal injury lawsuit–waiting to happen. Here are some things to watch out for:
Fire
Bursting into flames—as horrifying as it is to think about—is the nu
mber one hazard on Halloween. It’s the biggest burn accident night of the year.
Part of the reason is that Halloween costumes are not considered apparel, and so they don’t have to be made to the same safety standards as regular clothing. Most are imported from countries with lax safety laws—and store-bought costumes are notorious for being made of flimsy, highly flammable fabrics.
Many costumes also feature long, flowing wigs or fabric pieces, such as sleeves, fringe, or scarves, which are extremely easy to set on fire with jack-o-lanterns and candles everywhere. If the fabric is light and gauzy, you’ll be engulfed in flames before you can even react.
When buying costumes, look for flame-resistant labels, and avoid costumes with lots of loose, hanging fabric. Try battery or electric lighting for jack-o-lanterns, and if you must have candles, make sure they are well out of reach and never leave them unattended.
Tripping hazards
Little kids wearing costumes with oversized shoes and long dresses or pants are obviously at risk for tripping. But adults can be too, especially after a couple of trips to the punchbowl.
Halloween costumes often feature insane shoes you would never wear in real life, as well as long robes or capes. That, plus the fact that Halloween parties are usually dimly lit for a spooky atmosphere means you could easily fall over a gargoyle and land head first in the apple-dunking barrel.
Combine this with the number of costumes that involve masks and other vision-limiting features means you’re much more likely than usual to find yourself having your head sewn up by a pissed off hospital intern. Be careful out there, especially when imbibing.
Visibility
Darkness is key when celebrating Halloween, and if you’re over the age of 5, you’re probably not going to be trick-or-treating in broad daylight.
Unfortunately, black is the most popular color for Halloween costumes, which means nobody else can see you. Getting hit by a car is the second most common Halloween mishap (behind catching on fire), so even if you are a fully grown adult, make sure you have something reflective on somewhere, and consider using a flashlight or glow stick to be more visible.
People are partying and driving, texting and driving, and may have limited vision due to face-covering costumes. You don’t want to end up being the gore on their car wheels in your black ghoul outfit. And kids absolutely must wear reflective tape on their costumes after dark.
Breathing
Breathing is one of those things we totally take for granted, until we can’t do it anymore, and some Halloween costumes can inhibit the ability.
Most adults are smart enough to give up on a mask that makes breathing difficult—we’re thinking of those big, rubber, full-face ones—but kids will keep a mask or face covering on until they fall over dead just because it’s Halloween and they don’t want to compromise their costume.
It’s simple: don’t let your kids wear costumes that cover their faces. For little kids, anything that wraps around the neck (scarves, etc…) is a potential strangulation hazard, as well. This advice also applies to very stupid or drunk adults.
Accessories
This may be obvious, but do not be tempted to use a real weapon, or even a letter opener for that matter, as a costume accessory.
It doesn’t matter if you’re dressing as a pirate and you have a mint-condition 18th century dagger in your possession. Go buy a rubber one and leave the real thing at home.
Having dangerous accessories—and this goes triple for kids, especially teenagers—is pretty much a guarantee that someone is going to get hurt. This is why your local Costume Super Center has 10 aisles of fake replicas of weapons, scalpels, teeth, and anything else you could hurt someone with.
We know you’re an adult and can take care of yourself, but the existence of the Darwin Awards and Fail Blog prove that even grown-ups need safety reminders sometimes. And, if you’re in charge of any kids, definitely make sure they’ve got safe costumes for Halloween. Because Halloween is always better when no one has to call 911.
