West Aussies are embracing Halloween celebrations more each year, with increasing numbers of people participating in activities such as costume parties, trick-or-treating, and Halloween-themed events.
But, having a frightfully fun time can come with risks, especially when cheap Halloween-themed products are imported from outside of Australia.
Recent inspections at brick-and-mortar stores by Consumer Protection’s Product Safety Team have shown reassuring results, with only a couple of non-compliant items found.
It is a scary story when it comes to some popular cheap online shopping websites. Preliminary inspections revealed around 50 per cent of items the team ordered do not meet Australia’s strict mandatory safety standards.
If you are looking to save a buck on Halloween costumes and decorations by turning to these budget websites or second hand social media market places and discount stores, Consumer Protection has some important advice for avoiding unsafe products.
Many Halloween items such as light-up novelty toys and flashing objects such as jack-o-lanterns, cauldrons, fake candles, torches and wands are usually cheaply made and do not always comply with standards.
Many of these items are powered by dangerous button batteries with the compartments easily accessible. If swallowed, button batteries can cause serious injury or death in under two hours.
When buying button battery operated products, look for products where the compartment is secure and can’t be opened without a tool.
Halloween is also a great opportunity to dress up. However, it’s important to follow some basic safety precautions to ensure you don’t end up with real-life scars.
Some items the Product Safety team found that cause concern are novelty tattoos, face paint, makeup, or fake blood. It is important to ensure they come with ingredient labels as they can cause irritations, reactions or infections.
If someone in your group has an allergic reaction to a product, having a list of ingredients available for doctors can save them time when determining how to treat them.
Costumes are another fun part of Halloween celebrations, but parents and carers need to ensure the kids are visible if wearing them outside.
If wearing black or other dark-coloured costumes, add glow sticks or a reflective strip and carry a torch to ensure drivers and other trick-or-treaters can see the little ones.
Also take care around open flames such as candles inside jack-o-lanterns. You should also check costume labels for fire risk and choose those marked ‘flame resistant’ or ‘fire resistant’.
