Most Americans associate the July 4th holiday with pool parties, barbecues or a day at the beach. While celebrating America’s birthday with friends and family is fun and often the highlight of most people’s summers, the holiday can turn serious when people are careless with the centerpiece of the celebrations: fireworks. During the month surrounding the July 4th holiday, an average of 200 people go the emergency room each day with fireworks-related injuries.
According to a 2011 study, fireworks do the most injury to the fingers and hands (46%), with the head, face, eyes and ears all coming in second with 17 percent. More than half of all injuries were burns. Additionally, 68 percent of males were injured by fireworks versus 32 percent of females. Males were injured most by firecrackers, sparklers, bottle rockets, novelty devices, Roman candles and re-loadable shells, whereas females were injured more often at public fireworks displays.
To keep your family and friends safe this July 4th, practice these safety tips:
- Know your fireworks – read the warning labels and performance descriptions before igniting.
- Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks.
- Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
- Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
- Light fireworks one at a time, then move away quickly.
- Have a designated shooter to organize and shoot your fireworks (preferably someone who has not consumed alcohol).
It is important to always obey local and state laws pertaining to fireworks. This is especially true if you are traveling to another area and plan to shoot fireworks in a different city, county or state. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the laws in the community where you plan to use fireworks. Also, some areas will issue a burn ban because of risk of starting a forest fire. If this is true of where you live, it is important to follow the instructions of the ban.
For more information about firework safety, please visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov
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