‘While candles can create a spooky atmosphere on Halloween, they also risk turning the night into a horror show’
Before the kids go out trick or treating this Halloween, check out this safety warning from the London Fire Brigade over the potentially fatal combination of fancy dress costumes and candles and naked flames.
Parents should look to buy only costumes that meet British safety standards from reputable sellers, the LFB says, as children’s fancy dress costumes, including homemade ones, can easily catch fire if they come into contact with candles or flames.
The Brigade’s scientific advisors and fire investigators recently carried out a controlled burn demonstration to show how rapidly costumes can catch fire and burn.
Children’s costumes are classed as toys and therefore must meet specific flammability requirements under toy safety law. But as with many fabrics, they can still burn quickly if exposed to a naked flame.
For the burn demonstration, the Brigade used two costumes made of 100% polyester and set fire to them using a candle.
The damage caused to each costume was significant. In each case, as the flames spread across the material, lumps of molten and melted plastic dripped to the floor. “If these droplets were to be exposed to skin, they would risk causing significant burns,” the Fire Brigade said.
“While candles can create a spooky atmosphere on Halloween, they also risk turning the night into a horror show,” they said.
Even a brief exposure to a candle flame can cause a costume to catch fire. A safer alternative to traditional candles are flameless LED candles or glowsticks. “If your child is dressing up, they should not carry candles or sparklers while wearing their costume,” the Brigade warns.
Research by the British Toy and Hobby Association has shown that toys are available on popular online marketplaces that do not meet the required toy safety standards.
The Association’s findings published this month found 90% of toys they purchased from third-party online sellers, through online marketplaces including Amazon, Temu and Shein, did not meet British safety standards. Of the items tested, 81% were determined to be unsafe after failing testing to legal safety standards, and a further 9% failed on missing labelling or safety warnings.
“Fancy dress is a key part of Halloween and we want to ensure children are as safe as possible when they are out having fun,” said Station Officer Rob Hill, one of the Brigade’s fire investigation officers.
Safety checks: the London Fire Brigade asks parents and carers to check their children’s costumes
“Fancy dress costumes are a real area of concern, if people don’t follow basic safety advice.
“If your children have dressed up, keep them away from open flames and heat sources. If a costume catches fire, it can cause significant burns that might put your children’s heath at serious risk. It is important to ensure that the costume meets British or European safety standards.”
Always check who the actual seller of the costume is when shopping through online marketplaces such as Amazon, Temu and Shein.
Online marketplaces are not legally responsible for the safety of products sold by third-party sellers using their sites.
Children’s Costumes – Spot the signs
There are several steps you can take to spot a potentially dangerous costume this Halloween:
- Be wary of any deal that is too good to be true
- Research the seller – check all the reviews and ratings
- Check the safety information on the product listing
- When the item arrives, check the packaging looks professional – blurry logos, bad printing, and missing information could all be signs of an unsafe costume
- Look for the UKCA or CE mark, and seller details on the packaging and labels on the costume
- If you do buy a costume that you don’t think meets safety standards, contact the retailer or marketplace you bought it from and request a refund. You should also report it to your local Trading Standards office.
- In Croydon, you can contact Trading Standards by email at trading.standards@croydon.gov.uk or by phone on 020 8407 1311. In Sutton, those contact details are trading.standards@sutton.gov.uk or 020 8770 5000
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