Mahoning Valley & U.S. - Halloween is exactly one week away and folks across the Mahoning Valley and beyond are getting ready to celebrate. Mercy Health and FirstEnergy have some tips on how you can celebrate safely with your friends and family.

When trick-or-treating, Mercy Health Youngstown Trauma Injury Prevention and Outreach Coordinator, Amanda Lencyk says when trick or treating, one of the most important things you can do is increase visibility.

"Attaching reflective tape to [your child's] costumer, carrying a flashlight or wearing a glowstick are simple solutions to significantly reduce risks and still enjoy some safe, spooky fun," Lencyk said.

Additionally, Lencyk recommends sticking to a well-lit path such as a sidewalk when going from house to house, making sure children under 11 are supervised at all times, establishing a curfew for older children trick or treating, making sure costumes aren't too long to avoid tripping, opting not to wear masks that can obscure vision and washing all costume makeup off at the end of the night and testing it for any potential allergic reactions.

Meanwhile, Lauren Siburkis of FirstEnergy adds that falls can be prevented by keeping walkways, steps and porches free of electrical cords or other hazards, limiting travel to familiar areas and always walking in groups.

Siburkis also urges drivers to use extra caution and keep an eye out for children crossing the street. Drivers should familiarize themselves with their neighborhood's trick or treat hours so they know when to expect heavy foot traffic.

When it comes to decorations, Lencyk suggests lighting Jack-O-Lanterns with LED lights or fake candles instead of real candles to avoid a potential fire.

Speaking of fire hazards, Lencyk goes on to suggest that cornstalks and flammable house decorations or furniture items are kept away from light bulbs or open flames.

Siburkis adds that decorations should never be placed near utility equipment like telephone poles or transformers and that each electrical cord on decorations should be examined for cracks, frays, bare wires, damaged sockets or loose connections that could lead to shocks. You should not use a cord if it is hot.

When it comes to securing those decorations, Siburkis is reminding folks to use the proper clips to do so. Staples and nails can damage electrical cords.

Siburkis adds that decorative lights should be approved by Underwriter's Laboratory and carry a UL sticker on the tag. Red stickers indicate the lights can be used indoors and outdoors and green stickers indicate the lights are for indoor use only.

Outdoor lights should be plugged into outlets that feature Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) and indoor lights should never touch window treatments, carpets or furniture.

Once trick or treating is done, Lencyk suggests children with known allergies to certain ingredients wait to eat any treats until they inspect it for any allergens. Candy wrappers should also be inspected to make sure no treats have been tampered with.

For younger trick or treaters, all choking hazards should be removed before consuming candy.