As someone who had to extinguish a defective Halloween flashlight that caught fire, perhaps I have a greater appreciation of safety this time of year. There’s nothing like the smell of smoke coming from a little battery-powered light to get the adrenaline going and affirm the idea that threats to safety can come from just about any angle.

Given how many junky products are on the market and how silly people try to be around Halloween, it’s worthwhile to take a few precautions to help avoid horrors of the real kind. Paying extra attention during this holiday makes sense, given that children are the most likely to end up in an emergency room.