Nothing is more important to PPL than safety. So, while we hope all PPL customers and their little goblins enjoy lots of Halloween fun, we also want to offer some tips to make sure your spooky celebrations don’t turn too scary.
Wearing a vampire costume doesn’t make you or others invincible like Dracula, so to prevent serious or even fatal injuries, follow these Halloween safety tips:
Electrical Safety:
- Keep electrical wires and chords off walkways, pavements, porch stairs or anywhere trick-or-treaters may walk to avoid tripping hazards.
- Plug all outdoor decorations into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) to prevent electrical shock.
- If you’re using electrical products outside, make sure they are marked “for outdoor use.”
- Button batteries on Halloween costumes can be extremely dangerous and even fatal if swallowed. Make sure they don’t find their way in your child’s mouth along with all that candy.
Costume Safety:
- All costumes, wigs and accessories should be fire-resistant.
- If children will be trick-or-treating after dark, fasten reflective tape to their costumes and bags, or give them glow sticks to make them more visible.
- Choose nontoxic Halloween makeup over masks for better visibility. (Remove all makeup before children go to bed to prevent skin and eye irritation.)
Trick-or-treating safety:
- A responsible adult should accompany young children. If your older children are trick-or-treating alone, plan and review a route acceptable to you and agree on a specific time they should return home.
- Teach your children to never enter a stranger’s home or car.
- Children and adults are reminded to put electronic devices down, keep heads up, and walk, don’t run, across the street.
Driving safety:
- Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.
- After dark, pay extra attention to children trick-or-treating in dark costumes.
- Discourage new, inexperienced drivers from driving on Halloween.
Follow these tips to help ensure a safe and happy Halloween.
Visit The Electrical Safety Foundation International and The National Safety Council for more safety tips.
