Seven tips to keep your family safe this Halloween

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With the spooky season fast approaching, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service is sharing tips to ensure your family’s Halloween is full of treats, not tricks.

  1. Check clothing labels on Halloween costumes. Many Halloween and fancy dress costumes are classed as toys, meaning they can ignite quicker and burn faster – posing a significant risk to children wearing them. Check they are UKCA or CE marked to ensure they meet the required safety standards. 
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  3. 2. Consider using LED battery-operated candles instead. These are generally much safer than regular wax candles, will not catch fire due to lack of a flame, and don’t blow out. They can be cheaper than wax candles too but still make for great Halloween decorations.
    3. Think about where you put your Halloween decorations. Make sure they are placed away from naked flames (such as a wax candle) or heat sources (like your radiator). Please also ensure they are not blocking any escape routes, like front and back doors. Also be aware that draughts from open windows can knock over candles.
    4. Take care when lighting Halloween pumpkins. Or again, use a LED battery-powered tealight instead. If not, make sure any loose clothing you’re wearing is a safe distance away from the pumpkin, especially when you are moving these around your home.
    5. Do a candle check before leaving the room. If you are using regular wax candles, please ensure these are all fully extinguished before you go to sleep, or leave the house to go trick-or-treating.
    6. Please keep children and pets away from heat sources. This includes sparklers, which can burn up to 2,000 degrees!
    7. Make sure your home has one smoke alarm on each level. And check to ensure they are working! You also might need additional alarms in other rooms with more electrical appliances or near sleeping areas (or in this case, Halloween decorations).

MFRS Group Manager Mark Sopp said: “Halloween can be great fun, but there can also be real fire risks so it’s important to be aware and take action to avoid any incidents. We’re asking our Merseyside community to take extra care when choosing costumes, decorating their homes and celebrating Halloween with their family and friends.”

For fire safety advice, or if you do not have working smoke alarms in your property, call Fire Service Direct on 0800 731 5958