So you've spent hours setting up a romantic candlelight dinner for that special someone on Valentine's Day, but then a candle gets knocked over and your curtains catch alight. That's not the kind of spark you were looking for.

With all the giddy energy around this special day, it can be easy to overlook safety precautions. But with a little vigilance you can make sure your romantic evening doesn’t end in the emergency room. See our list of bad Valentine’s Day mishaps and how to avoid them:

Fire Hazards

Having a romantic meal usually means that candles will be involved, especially when you also have to deal with load shedding. Any time you’ve got an open flame, there's a risk of a fire.

Take these precautions for your candlelight dinner:

• Don’t leave candles unattended.
• Always use a candle holder.
• Keep candles away from anything that could catch fire, such as curtains.

Food Poisoning

Cooking a romantic meal can be the best way to capture your Valentine’s heart. But if you undercook the chicken, it could be the best way to get them hospitalised.

Here are a few tips to avoid food poisoning on your romantic date:

• Wash your hands thoroughly.
• Use separate chopping boards for raw and ready-to-eat meat.
• Cook food thoroughly.
• Stick to use-by dates.
• Keep raw food on the bottom shelf of your fridge and keep cooked meats on a separate shelf.

Twisted Ankle

An injury can quickly turn a romantic evening into your worst Valentine’s yet. High heels and alcohol can increase the chances of a twisted ankle. If you or your date experience this kind of injury, just remember RICE:

Rest: Keep weight off the ankle as much as possible and avoid walking and running in the following days.

Ice: Apply ice to the affected area for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce swelling.

Compress: Apply a bandage firmly but not so tightly that it restricts blood supply.

Elevation: Elevate the injured ankle above the level of the heart to help control swelling.

Car accidents

Even if you’re in love, it’s important to remember that the rules still apply when it comes to drinking and driving. If you have a reservation somewhere for Valentine’s Day and you plan to enjoy a nice bottle of wine (or two), be smart and have a ride set up or make use of e-hailing services like Uber or Bolt.

For more tips on Valentine’s preparations, read these blogs:

-        How to plan Valentine’s Day on a budget