Candle Safety

Candles are an incomparably timeless form of lighting, bringing intimacy and warmth to venues of all sizes.

However, as captivating as these magnificent flickers of light are, it is vital that you are aware of the precautions to maintain health and safety when using candles.

Here are 10 of the most fundamental dos and don’ts of keeping your events safe when using candlelight to enhance your ambience.

1. Do leave a distance
   
   It is very likely that venue owners will burn several candles at the same time to create a vibrant ambience. Whether your venue is large or small, you should leave a distance of at least 10cm between every candle you burn.
   
   
2. Don’t walk away
   
   Never leave a candle burning unattended, even for just a few minutes. If you choose to use candles as part of your lighting for the evening, be sure to keep a watchful eye over each of them.
   
   
3. Do keep out of reach
   
   Children and pets can be very curious at the best of times, but the sight of a naked flame can be especially mystifying and enticing to them. Therefore, you must ensure that any lighted candles are kept well out of the reach of children and pets.
   
   
4. Don’t blow it out
   
   To safely extinguish the flame from a candle, you should snuff it out. Do not blow flames out and never put them out using any kind of liquid.
   
   
5. Do use containers
   
   Candle holders and jars are not just stylish accessories, they make sure that your candles are kept firmly in place, which can prevent nasty accidents later. This is particularly true for ball candles. Never light a candle that is not firmly secured by a good holder.
   
   
6. Don’t move them around
   
   You should not move a burning candle. If you wish to reposition a candle, snuff out the flame first. This can stop you from being burned by hot wax, which can prevent you from dropping the candle and potentially causing a health and safety risk. It is always best to plan where the candles will be placed in advance.
   
   
7. Do trim the wick
   
   Before you light a candle for the first time, trim the wick down to about 1cm. This will help to ensure a consistent and safe flame once lit.
   
   
8. Don’t burn them close to anything else
   
   Aside from using a proper holder or container, you should make sure that you do not light or place your candles anywhere near any other objects, particularly any other objects that could catch fire. Make sure they are well away from cloth and flammable liquid, such as alcohol.
   
   
9. Do keep the wax pool clean
   
   Candles develop a wax pool after burning for some time. This can be a sticky magnet for debris, which can lead to flaring. Therefore, you need to keep matches and other debris clear from the candles’ wax pools. Similarly, when you have trimmed the wick, do not leave the debris in the candle as this can re-catch and cause the flame to be larger than it should be.
   
   
10. Don’t use one candle to light another
    
    Always light each candle separately with a match or lighter. You should not use an already lit candle to light another one. This will cause wax from one candle to drip onto the other and may also lead to burns.