Have a Safe and Happy Halloween

Halloween Safety Tips:

Put glow in the dark tape, or wear Glow Red Sticks or Red Glow Necklaces on costumes and carry a flashlight. Have an adult accompany young children. Children should only go to familiar neighborhoods and a curefew should be set. Children should never accept rides from strangers, or go inside stranger's houses. Treats should not be eaten until inspected by an adult. Check local hospitals, some even offer to X-Ray candy.

Pumpkin Carving Safety Alert - Hand Surgeons Warn of Dangers

(ARA) - The American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) urges Halloween pumpkin carvers to use caution this Halloween season and take steps to prevent hand injuries when carving.

“Every Halloween season we see four or five patients -- both adults and children -- who come into our office with severe injuries to their hands and fingers,” says Jeffrey Wint, M.D., an ASSH member from The Hand Center of Western Massachusetts, Springfield, Mass. “Treatment can often run three to four months from the time of surgery through rehabilitation.”

To prevent hand injuries, the ASSH suggests the following safety tips:

* Carve Pumpkin in a Clean, Dry, Well-lit Area

Wash and thoroughly dry all of the tools that you will use to carve the pumpkin: carving tools, knife, cutting surface, and your hands. Any moisture on your tools, hands, or table can cause slipping that can lead to injuries.

* Always Have Adult Supervision

“All too often we see adolescent patients with injuries because adults feel the kids are responsible enough to be left on their own,” says Wint. “Even though the carving may be going great, it only takes a second for an injury to occur.”

* Leave the Halloween Carving to Adults

Never let children do the carving. Wint suggests letting kids draw a pattern on the Halloween pumpkin and having them be responsible for cleaning out the inside pulp and seeds. When the adults do start cutting, they should always cut away from themselves and cut in small, controlled strokes.

* Sharper is not Better

“A sharper knife is not necessarily better because it often becomes wedged in the thicker part of the Halloween pumpkin, requiring force to remove it,” says Wint. “An injury can occur if your hand is in the wrong place when the knife finally dislodges from the thick skin of the pumpkin. Injuries are also sustained when the knife slips and comes out the other side of the pumpkin where your hand may be holding it steady.”

* Use a Halloween Pumpkin Carving Kit

Special pumpkin carving kits are available in stores and include small serrated pumpkin saws that work better because they are less likely to get stuck in the thick pumpkin tissue. “If they do get jammed and then wedged free, they are not sharp enough to cause a deep, penetrating cut,” says Wint.

Should you cut your finger or hand, bleeding from minor cuts will often stop on its own by applying direct pressure to the wound with a clean cloth. If continuous pressure does not slow or stop the bleeding after 15 minutes, an emergency room visit may be required.

For more information about the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and its free “Find a Hand Surgeon” service offered to the general public, please visit: www.handcare.org. Courtesy of ARA Content

Trick or Treating for Halloween
Consumer Product Safety Commission

A few safety tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission can protect children who plan to go trick-or-treating this Halloween.

Treats:
Warn children not to eat any treats before an adult has carefully examined them for evidence of tampering.

Flame Resistant Costumes:
When purchasing a costume, masks, beards, and wigs, look for the label Flame Resistant. Although this label does not mean these items won't catch fire, it does indicate the items will resist burning and should extinguish quickly once removed from the ignition source. To minimize the risk of contact with candles or other sources of ignition, avoid costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts.

Costume Designs:
- Purchase or make costumes that are light and bright enough to be clearly visible to motorists. 
- For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, decorate or trim costumes with reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car's headlights.
- Bags or sacks should also be light colored or decorated with reflective tape. Reflective tape is usually available in hardware, bicycle, and sporting goods stores.
- To easily see and be seen, children should also carry flashlights.
- Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling.
- Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes . Mother' s high heels are not a good idea for safe walking.
- Hats and scarfs should be tied securely to prevent them from slipping over children's eyes.
- Apply a natural mask of cosmetics rather than have a child wear a loose-fitting mask that might restrict breathing or obscure vision. If a mask is used, however, make sure it fits securely and has eyeholes large enough to allow full vision.
- Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be of soft and flexible material.

Pedestrian Safety: Young children should always be accompanied by an adult or an older, responsible child. All children should WALK, not run from house to house and use the sidewalk if available, rather than walk in the street. Children should be cautioned against running out from between parked cars, or across lawns and yards where ornaments, furniture, or clotheslines present dangers.

Choosing Safe Houses: Children should go only to homes where the residents are known and have outside lights on as a sign of welcome.  Children should not enter homes or apartments unless they are accompanied by an adult.

People expecting trick-or-treaters should remove anything that could be an obstacle from lawns, steps and porches. Candlelit jack-o'-lanterns should be kept away from landings and doorsteps where costumes could brush against the flame. Indoor jack-o'-lanterns should be kept away from curtains, decorations, and other furnishings that could be ignited.