Be Safe, Be Seen this Halloween!

Your neighbors at Vulcan Materials Company wish you and your family a safe and fun Halloween. As part of our ongoing commitment to safety at our McCook Quarry and your community, we've launched a public safety campaign to help get our trick-or-treaters home safely this Halloween.

We're partnering with the Police Departments from Countryside, Hodgkins, LaGrange, McCook and Western Springs and Ideal, Hodgkins and Plesantdale Elementary Schools to provide each child in these schools with a Vulcan safety glow stick that kids can affix to their costumes or treat bags to make them more visible after dark. In addition, here are some Halloween safety tips from the National Safety Council:

Motorists - The National Safety Council urges motorists to be especially alert on Halloween:
- Watch for children darting out from between parked cars.
- Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.
- Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
- At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.

Parents - Before children start out on their "trick or treat" rounds, parents should:
- Make sure that an adult or an older responsible youth will be supervising the outing for children under age 12.
- Plan and discuss the route trick-or-treaters intend to follow. Know the names of older children's companions.
- Instruct your children to travel only in familiar areas and along an established route.
- Teach your children to stop only at houses or apartment buildings that are well-lit and never to enter a stranger's home.
- Establish a return time.
- Tell your youngsters not to eat any treat until they return home.
- Pin a slip of paper with the child's name, address and phone number inside a pocket in case the youngster gets separated from the group.

Costume Design
- Only fire-retardant materials should be used for costumes.
- Costumes should be loose so warm clothes can be worn underneath.
- Costumes should not be so long that they are a tripping hazard. (Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injuries on Halloween.)
- If children are allowed out after dark, outfits should be made with light-colored materials. Strips of retro-reflective tape should be used to make children visible.

Face Design
- Masks can obstruct a child's vision. Use facial make-up instead.
- If masks are worn, they should have nose and mouth openings and large eye holes.

Accessories
- Knives, swords and other accessories should be made from cardboard or flexible materials. Do not allow children to carry sharp objects.
- Bags or sacks carried by youngsters should be light-colored or trimmed with retro-reflective tape if children are allowed out after dark.
- Carrying flashlights will help children see better and be seen more clearly.

On the way
- Do not enter homes or apartments without adult supervision.
- Walk, do not run, from house to house. Do not cross yards and lawns where unseen objects or the uneven terrain can present tripping hazards.
- Walk on sidewalks, not in the street.
- Walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic if there are no sidewalks.

Treats - To ensure a safe trick-or-treat outing, parents are urged to:
- Give children an early meal before going out.
- Insist that treats be brought home for inspection before anything is eaten.
- When in doubt, throw it out.

For more information on the National Safety Council: www.nsc.org

For more information on the "Be Safe, Be Seen" program, please click
here.

For a printable version (PDF), please click here.