Fireworks Safety

It’s that time of year when Americans everywhere will be celebrating the Fourth of July holiday with family, friends, and fireworks. Tonight, on House Call a medical professional from UHC joins us to discuss summer safety when it comes to fireworks.

1). How dangerous are fireworks?

Nationally, there were 9,700 people treated in the Emergency Department from fireworks injuries. Sixty-six percent of these injuries occurred either in the weeks before or after the July 4th holiday.

Teenagers ages 15 to 19 years of age had the highest estimated rate of emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries. Children aged 5-9 years old had the second highest rate, with most of these injuries due to sparklers.

It is important to never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks. A good example are sparklers, which burn at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and are hot enough to melt some metals. Sparklers can quickly ignite clothing, and children have received severe burns from dropping sparklers on their feet or touching body parts.

2). What types of injuries do you see in the Emergency Department?

There were an estimated 800 emergency department-treated injuries associated with firecrackers and 700 injuries associated with sparklers. The parts of the body most often injured by fireworks were hands and fingers (an estimated 35 percent of injuries) along with head, face, and ears (an estimated 22 percent). About 42 percent of these fireworks-related injuries were for burns. 3). What can we do to ensure a safer July 4th celebration?

Celebrate with your family safely by following these tips:

• Consider safe alternatives such as party poppers, bubbles, silly string, or glow sticks.
• Go see a professional fireworks display rather than trying to put on your own display.
• However, we know that many people will insist on doing their own fireworks celebration. If that is you, make sure fireworks are legal in your area and only purchase and set off fireworks that are labeled for consumer (not professional) use.
• It is important to remember to protect your hearing; fireworks can exceed 150 dB (decibels). Limit the time of exposure to loud sounds, such as fireworks and use hearing protection devices – earplugs or earmuffs.
• Never use fireworks while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy, in case of fire or other mishap.
• Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.
• Never try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks. Soak them with water and throw them away.
• Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Move to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
• Never point or throw fireworks (including sparklers) at anyone.
• After fireworks complete their burning, to prevent a trash fire, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding the device.

This content was originally posted on the WDTV News website here.

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