Sven’s Costume Safety Tips

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Dave Watnemoe
  • 319th Air Base Wing Safety Office
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Halloween brings back great memories of roaming the neighborhood dressed in my older brother's hand-me-downs in hopes of filling my pillowcase with candy. This would fuel our sugar highs for the next two weeks!

Times have changed a little; I am now a parent and therefore no longer trick or treat. Instead, I wait at home to raid my kids' bags for my favorites, and then try to convince them I am only checking for hazards.

Before we can send the sweet-seekers out for the evening we must choose a costume. This was a great year at the movies which means there are going to be a bunch of children dressed as Thor, Captain America and Green Lantern, not to mention your classic ghosts, ghouls and goblins.

There are some things we need to remember prior to sending the kids out the door to ensure they have a safe evening.

Check masks, hoods or anything that may be obstructing their view. If you have trouble seeing their eyes, they are probably having trouble seeing anything. They're probably not going to tell you because they want to look their best. Another way to check this would be to have them walk around the house to see if they run into anything. It's better to hit a knee on the coffee table than walk out in front of a bus -- just saying.

Check the length of their costume to ensure they are not wearing a tripping hazard. As funny as their friends might think it is watching little Timmy or Suzie run a few steps and fall down repeatedly throughout the night, this would not be safe.

If part of their costume consists of a knife, sword, pitchfork or any other impaling object, please make sure that this is a bendable object or that it's made out of a spongy material; not only for their safety but for everyone else that may come into contact with them that evening.

There is a good chance of it being chilly outside, so please do not let your child decide whether or not they need a jacket, hat or gloves because they will choose not to wear them. Try to make or buy a costume big enough to accommodate a sweatshirt or jacket under it to prevent a chilling evening.

Last thing for the kids would be a flashlight, reflective tape or glow sticks to make them more visible to traffic and other treat seekers.

Now let's talk about the adults who just can't help themselves when it comes to this day. If you have watched America's Funniest Home Videos and saw a guy dressed up holding a candy dish and scaring kids when they come up and thought, "I am going to do that," please don't. There are far too many overly protective mothers and crazy fathers that would be willing to knock you out to keep their child safe. Then there are the ones who would like to take the chain off their chainsaw and rev it up like they are Leatherface. Again, please don't do this. It may turn out to be a training drill for Security Forces to see how fast they can respond and apprehend the crazy that is loose in housing.

If the kids are dressed properly - and they're visible - and the adults behave like adults, it should be a safe and Happy Halloween.