To young children, no Mid Autumn Festival celebration is complete without lanterns.
Traditional paper and cloth lanterns, though fast overtaken by electronic gadgets, have stood the test of time to survive the competition in the marketplace.
But are they deemed safe to children by contemporary standards?
The Consumer Council has tested 33 samples to see how they fare in safety. The results are understandably less than perfect but enlightening to parents and children alike in ensuring safety.
Included in these samples were lanterns constructed with paper or cloth material on a metal wire or bamboo frame (typically in shape of star fruit, rabbit or fish), and those resembling an accordion that can be folded down flat. They are usually inexpensive from a few dollars to well under $100 each.
As these traditional lanterns are illuminated with candles, the test sought to measure the temperature of (a) the hanging point (where the handle meets the hanging string) above the candle, and (b) the outer surface of the base right below the candle holder.
In general, it was found that the smaller the size of the lantern opening atop and the shorter the hanging string, the higher the temperature will be at the point of support of the mount.
All of the accordion-type samples were measured to reach temperatures in excess of 100℃ at the supporting points, with four reaching a high of over 200℃.
Therefore, users are recommended not to use plastic wires or hooks to hang up candle-lit lanterns, nor place them near curtains and clothes.
Besides, scorching marks and minor burn on the base of the lantern were observed in a small fraction of the sample size.
The samples were also put to test for mechanical hazards - with reference to the European toy safety standard.
Not surprisingly, it was found that in the majority of cases, the edges of the candle holders and the exposed ends of metal wires were invariably sharp and pointed.
Further, as candle holders can easily be pulled out, they present an additional potential hazard as small parts which could be accidentally put into the mouth by young children.
Parents are strongly advised to keep an eye on their young children playing with candle-lit lanterns at all times.
As a safer alternative, parents are strongly advised to consider as a substitute the use of battery-operated handles with light bulb which come or can be bought separately as accessory to these traditional lanterns.
Lastly, in the event of a lantern catching fire, stay calm as the fuel for burning is usually limited and the fire would last only for seconds. Remove any inflammable object nearby to avoid the spread of fire, and throw the flaming lantern to the ground for the fire to extinguish.
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