WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER: Halloween Injuries - The Most Dangerous Things We Do...

Pumpkin Carving Is the Top Cause of Halloween Injuries – But There Are Many

The most dangerous Halloween-related thing you’ll likely do this year is carve a pumpkin.

Talk about “Halloween Horrors” – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that, between October and November 2018, in the United States, 44-percent of Halloween-linked injuries were connected with pumpkin-carving.

And we do a more dangerous things than we may think.

More than one-quarter of Halloween-related injuries included cuts, ingestions, and costume, pumpkin or decoration-related injuries, and there were nearly 2,700 injuries involving trips and falls.

Surprisingly, crossing the street to Trick-Or-Treat is not as potentially harmful as these things.

Orthopedic hand surgeon Dr. Craig Phillips says, “It is important for parents to establish clear boundaries with their kids and teach them safety tips to ensure they have a positive experience, rather than having to visit the hospital.”

When you carve pumpkins, be sure to use tools or knives which are specifically designed for the task. And be sure to carve in a clean, dry, and well-lit area. Also: Make sure there is no moisture on the carving tools, or on your hands. Get gloves which are specifically designed for the project (most hardware and big stores have them).

Carve the bottom out of the pumpkin, instead of (or in addition to) the top – it’s safer and easier to light or move.

Last year, people actually thought it was ok to put superglue on plastic fangs and wear them – which caused several emergency room visits.

Carve out a little more info, here: (UPI)