Florida Halloween Safety Tips

Fall is here and with it comes the holidays of Halloween and Día de Los Muertos. Both holidays provide reasons to celebrate from connecting with family members and friends to enjoying the costumes, attire, food, and traditions. However, before jumping into the celebration, our South Florida attorneys have put together some helpful tips to keep you, your family, and your community safe throughout the celebration.

Halloween Night Safety Tips

From attire to weather and hazards, Florida presents some unique challenges for families as they dress up in their new costumes, get ready to host guests or take children out trick-or-treating. Whichever you decide to participate in during the holidays, check out our checklist on each. If you or a loved one have any questions or experienced an unfortunate injury, please be sure to contact our Florida attorneys. 

When Planning & Wearing Costumes

Costumes are a great way to get into the spirit of Halloween, but can generally be one of the core causes of injuries throughout the holiday. From trip and falls to fires and burn accidents, costumes are a hazard in the making. Whether you are dressing up children or yourself these tips will help keep your risk down to a minimum . 

1. Although these can be the perfect accent to a costume, try to avoid any long or sharp swords, sticks, or canes as a costume accessory. Your child can easily be hurt by these accessories if he or she stumbles or trips.
2. Make sure that your shoes and costume clothing fit well to avoid tripping or coming in contact with a flame. This includes long dresses or trailing pieces of clothing as well as wrappings that constrict movement. 
3. In relation to Florida, make sure that the costume has vents and allows for airflow to prevent overheating when worn for a longer period of time.

Staying Home & Hosting Guests

Whether you are hosting a party or answering the door for local trick-or-treating children, making your property safe for visitors is important to avoid premise liability issues and injuries. Here are some safety tips to consider as you hand up decorations and get ready for the holidays.

1. Remove tripping hazards like lawn decorations, toys, or landscaping equipment like garden hoses. We would also suggest sweeping wet leaves from the sidewalks and steps 
2. Check outdoor lights and replace burned-out bulbs for maximum visibility of walkways on your property.
3. Create and package grab-and-go treat bags instead of individual candy pieces. Not only will this help the flow of traffic, but it will help indecisive children with treat selection as well as reduce germs.

Trick-Or-Treating Safety Tips

Last but not least is taking your children through the local neighborhoods for trick-or-treating. Excitement is typically high here for kids as they run from house to house for their treats. Being proactive with safety can reduce the risk of a child injury and help keep the night running smoothly. 

1. Consider adding reflectors to costumes or add reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags to help with visibility when walking through neighborhoods or busy streets.
2. Be sure to encourage water consumption to hydrate throughout the day before wearing costumes in the Florida heat for a longer period of time. 
3. Plan a meal before trick-or-treating to avoid heavy treat consumption and inspect the treats before giving them to children. Our tip is to discard any non-sealed treats or choking hazards. 
4. Don’t forget to carry a flashlight! Making sure you are visible to drivers and others is imperative for trick or treating.

We hope these tips help out with reducing risk during your October holiday season. However, if you, a child, or a loved one have been injured please don’t hesitate to call our Florida office for legal consultation on your potential case.