Fire service warning to parents over flammable Halloween costumes The coast is clear!
POORLY-MADE OUTIFTS COULD GO UP IN SECONDS IF CAUGHT ON OPEN FLAME
CHEAP Halloween costumes could put children at risk of life-changing injuries if caught alight, a fire service has warned.
Parents are being warned of the risks of some shopbought costumes following this year’s National Burns Awareness Day,
as firefighters urge them to buy their costumes from “reputable” retailers.
Although most clothes can be flammable, some can catch fire much quicker than others and poorlymade costumes made from cheap materials could go up in seconds if caught on an open flame.
TV presenter Claudia Winkleman revealed in 2014 that her daughter Matilda suffered severe burns while trick or treating, after her shop-bought costume was caught on a lit candle and went up instantly.
Matilda, then eight, required surgery for the burns, and Claudia has since raised aware
ness of the potential fire hazard cheap costumes can create.
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service have now issued a warning, revealing the shocking extent of children who have suffered burns from open flames or scalding hot water.
Some 6,000 youngsters were admitted to hospital with burns in 2020, according to figures from the Children’s Burns Trust and The British Burn Association.
This figure only relates to the more serious burns that required admission to a hospital burns unit and over 50% of these were children under the age of five.
Steve Duffield, Humberside Fire’s Public Safety Group Manager, wants to drive down these figures locally and nationally.
“The vast majority of burn injuries are accidents, and most are entirely avoidable,” he said.
“Hot drinks are the most common cause of scald injury in children, followed by contact with electric cookers, irons and hair straighteners.
“If people take away one key message from National Burn Awareness Day 2021, it is that prevention and good first aid are the vital ingredients in reducing the number of burn-related accidents.”
He added: “With Halloween just around the corner, we also wanted to take this opportunity to remind parents and carers to only buy fancy dress costumes from reputable retailers and to always check the label – clothing will always burn if in contact with naked flames but some faster than others.”
Emergency services advise anyone who suffers a burn to cool it under a cold running tap for 20 minutes, and in severe cases to call 999 and cover the wound with cling film or a sterile, non-fluffy dressing or cloth.