How to stay safe at Halloween (From Messenger Newspapers)
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How to stay safe at Halloween
2:50pm Friday 26th October 2012 in News
NORTH West Ambulance Service (NWAS) is urging parents to follow some simple safety tips this Halloween, to ensure the event results in a treat rather than a trip to hospital.
NWAS normally records a spike in emergency 999 calls during Halloween, but the service thinks this could be avoided if its safety advice is followed.
Parents are urged to always accompany children when they are trick or treating, make sure they carry a torch, glow sticks and wear reflective clothing to make them visible to drivers.
The service also advises that well-fitting masks, costumes and shoes are worn to avoid blocked vision, trips and falls and face paints are testes on a small area of skin first to check for irritation.
NWAS director of emergency service, Derek Cartwright, said: “Halloween can be an exciting time for children and young people but combined with the dark nights and bad weather, children can be vulnerable to avoidable accidents.
He added that people should think whether they really need an ambulance before dialing 999.
