Halloween is a fun-filled holiday, with glowing jack-o'-lanterns and buckets brimming with treats. But it can also pose safety hazards. Taking a few precautions can help ensure a safe and enjoyable time for everyone.

Costumes

Every part of a Halloween costume – mask, beard, wig and clothing, for example – should be made of flame-resistant material, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). When purchasing a costume, look for a “Flame Resistant” label. Choose costumes without big, loose sleeves, skirts or pant legs to lessen the chance of coming into contact with an open flame.

Follow these additional costume safety tips from the CPSC:

• 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. Bags or sacks should also be light colored or decorated with reflective tape.
• To easily see and be seen, children should carry flashlights.
• Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling.
• Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes.
• Hats and scarves 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 your child does wear a mask, make sure it fits securely and has eyeholes large enough to allow full vision.
• Swords, knives and similar costume accessories should be made of soft and flexible material.

Around the Home

Leave your front lights on so that trick-or-treaters may have a well-lit path to your door. Remove items such as planters, hoses and lawn decorations that could trip visitors. Keep pets inside.

The CPSC recommends against using candle-lit Halloween luminaries; instead, place flashlights inside them.

Pumpkin carving is the leading cause of injuries associated with Halloween, according to the CPSC. Follow these safety tips when carving and displaying pumpkins:

• Carve pumpkins on stable, flat surfaces with good lighting, and make sure there is no moisture on the carving tools or your hands.
• Have children draw a face on the pumpkin; parents should do the cutting. Use a carving kit or knives specifically designed for the task.
• Outside, place candle-lit jack-o'-lanterns far away from the door, so trick-or-treaters won't accidentally brush against them. Don’t leave lighted jack-o’-lanterns unattended.
• Keep your indoor jack-o'-lanterns away from curtains and anything that could catch fire.

On the Streets

One alternative to traditional trick-or-treat is to throw a Halloween party and invite kids. But if your kids are going door to door for trick-or-treat, make sure everyone in your family has safety in mind.

Young children should go with an adult or a responsible, older child. Instruct children to stay on the sidewalk and out of the roadway. Remind them to walk, not run, and to go to houses only where they know the people inside. They should avoid unfamiliar houses and lawns, where ornaments, furniture and even tree stumps can cause them to trip. At no time should they enter a house without a grown-up.

If you are not walking with your children, make sure you know who is with them – and set a time for them to be home. Have them carry a cell phone in case of emergency.

Instruct your kids not to eat any of their goodies until a grown-up has had a chance to carefully examine them.

Remember to drive extra carefully on Halloween and during trick-or-treat, keeping an eye out for children walking between driveways and cars or crossing in the middle of the block. Adult Halloween partiers should have a designated driver.

The National Safety Council offers more Halloween safety tips.