Firework Safety
Make firework safety your priority. As the old adage goes, safety is no accident, and that is especially true when it comes to firework.
All Americans associate the 4th of July with fireworks, they’re even mentioned in our national anthem. Most of us look forward to the glittering display each year but for fire departments and hospitals it is a day of dangerous insanity. Last year 4 people died and approximately 11,100 people received medical treatment for firework related injuries.
On average fireworks also cause:
– 1,300 structure fires
– 300 vehicle fires
– 17,000 miscellaneous fires resulting in thousands of injuries
The best firework safety measure you can take is to avoid fire and injury all together. Both the National Safety Council and countless fire departments recommend foregoing consumer fireworks and attending a public display.
If consumer fireworks are legal in your local ordinances and you choose to purchase them, proceed with caution and remember that fireworks are explosives.
From sparklers to the window shaking M-class fireworks, specific precautions must be made when handling each one. The most popular fireworks each year are sparklers, fire crackers, bottle rockets, roman candles, and M-class fireworks. Each section below features the most common related injuries and firework safety tips specific to the correlating firework.
Sparklers
Most of us have nostalgic memories of waving our sparklers on the 4th of July but unfortunately some people have life long scars from being burnt. A sparkler burns at around 2,000 degrees which is hot enough to melt several metals. Clothing and other flammable materials can catch fire quickly and many people have been burnt severely by dropping them on their feet.
Firework Safety Tips
Firework safety tips:
– Always be cautious when handling sparklers
– Only use outdoors at a safe distance from dry brush
– Only light one at a time
– Avoid loose clothing
– Do not use under the influence of alcohol
– Never allow small children to handle sparklers
– Closely supervise older children during use
Firecrackers
Firecrackers are multiple explosive usually linked by a long fuse and are intended to explode on the ground. Loud, colorful, and fast, these very common fireworks can cause critical burns and injuries if they back fire or the user is too close.
Firework safety tips:
– Always be cautious when handling firecrackers
– Only use outdoors at a safe distance from dry brush
– Only light one at a time
– Avoid loose clothing
– Do not use under the influence of alcohol
– Never allow small children to handle firecrackers
– Closely supervise older children during use
– Never try to relight a “dud”
– Prior to disposal soak in a bucket of water to avoid a fire
Roman Candles
Roman candles launch exploding balls from a tube held in the user’s hands. Severe injuries have been reported including acute burns and the loss of fingers due to the device jamming and backfiring.
Firework safety tips:
– Always be cautious when handling roman candles
– Only use outdoors at a safe distance from dry brush
– Only light one at a time
– Avoid loose clothing
– Do not use under the influence of alcohol
– Never allow small children to handle roman candles
– Never try to relight a “dud”
Bottle Rockets
Bottle Rockets
Bottle rockets are classic fireworks, they are miniature rockets bound to a stick and are usually launched from a bottle. If not aimed carefully bottle rockets have been known to cause serious bodily harm such as chest, head, and eye injuries.
Firework safety tips:
– Always be cautious when handling bottle rockets
– Only use outdoors at a safe distance from structures and dry brush
– Aim away from people
– Only light one at a time
– Avoid loose clothing
– Do not use under the influence of alcohol
– Never allow children to handle bottle rockets
– Never try to relight a “dud”
– Prior to disposal soak in a bucket of water to avoid a fire
M-class Fireworks:
Leave these powerful explosives to the professionals. They are illegally manufactured, have short fuses, and are the cause of the most severe firework injuries and fires.
Let’s lighten the load of our hard working fellow Americans in the emergency services this year. Follow these firework safety tips and have a blessed Independence Day!
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