Fireworks Safety Tips for a Safe July 4 Celebration

Missouri has the distinction of being the state with the highest per capita fireworks purchases with Kansas not far behind in the nation. Along with July 4th comes a greater risk of accidents that can not only ruin the holiday but also cause property damage, serious injuries or even death.

Every year, thousands of people are injured badly enough to require medical treatment after fireworks-related incidents, with many of the injuries to children and young adults. Although the majority of these incidents are because of amateurs attempting to use professional-grade, homemade or other illegal fireworks or explosives, less-powerful devices such as small firecrackers and sparklers also can cause significant injuries. Additionally, fireworks start an average of 19,000 fires each year.

Every year, young children can be found along parade routes and at festivals with sparklers in hand, but they are a lot more dangerous than most people think. Sparklers burn at about 2,000 degrees, which is hot enough to melt some metals. Sparklers can quickly ignite clothing, and children have received severe burns from dropping sparklers on their feet. According to the National Fire Protection Association, sparklers alone account for more than 25 percent of emergency room visits for fireworks injuries. For children less than 5 years of age, sparklers account for nearly half of the total estimated injuries.

The National Safety Council offers these tips a safe and enjoyable Independence Day:

• • • • Never allow young children to handle fireworks.
    • Older children should use them only under close adult supervision.
    • Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol.
    • Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear.
    • Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands.
    • Never light them indoors.
    • Use fireworks only away from people, houses and flammable material.
    • Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
    • Light only one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting.
    • Never ignite devices in a container.
    • Do not try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks.
    • Soak both used and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
    • Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire.
    • Never use illegal fireworks.

     

  • –Alan Goforth