07/01/2009
During the upcoming holiday, parents and caregivers are urged to be smart about fireworks safety. For 2008, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) reported seven fireworks-related deaths and an estimated 7,000 individuals required hospital emergency room visits for firework related injuries.
Fireworks are not legal in all areas. Consumers are encouraged to avoid buying fireworks that come in brown paper packaging, as this can often be a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and could pose a significant danger. Multiple injuries from sparklers to children under five have been reported. Indeed, sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt some metals.
If using legal fireworks, the following tips may help reduce injury. Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Move back a safe distance immediately after lighting. Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not fully functioned. Never point or throw fireworks at another person. Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap. Light one item at a time, then move back quickly. Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers. After fireworks fully complete their functioning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding to prevent a trash fire.
Unfortunately, 70 percent of all fireworks-related injuries generally occur between June 20 and July 20 each year. To help prevent these injuries, children should never play with or light fireworks. For the best protection families should attend professional demonstrations.
