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Health Tips

Fireworks Safety

• 72 percent of the victims were male.
  
  
• The greatest number of eye injuries were associated with rockets.
  
  
• Sparklers are the second highest cause of fireworks injuries requiring trips to the emergency room. Sparklers can heat up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt gold.
  
  
• From 1980-1994, fireworks accounted for 29 fires, 65 explosions and 114 deaths. The victims of these accidents ranged in ages from 4 months to 88 years old.
  
  
• Misuse caused 60 percent of injuries.
  
  
• Data from the United States Eye Injury Registry shows that bystanders are more often injured by fireworks than operators themselves.
  
  
• 44 percent of the injured are children ages 19 years old and under.

• Do not delay medical attention even for seemingly mild injuries. "Mildly" damaged areas can worsen and end in serious vision loss, even blindness, that might not have happened if treatment had occurred immediately.
  
  
• Stay calm, do not panic; keep the child as calm as possible.
  
  
• Do not rub the eye. If any eye tissue is torn, rubbing might push out the eye's contents and cause more damage. Trying to rub the eye is an automatic response to pain, but pressure will only do more harm. Take the child's hand from his or her face.
  
  
• Do not attempt to rinse out the eye. This can be even more damaging than rubbing.
  
  
• Shield the eye from pressure. Tape or secure the bottom of a foam cup, milk carton or similar shield against the bones surrounding the eye: brow, cheek and bridge of the nose.
  
  
• Avoid giving aspirin or ibuprofen (or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, called "N-SAIDS") to try to reduce the pain. They thin the blood and might increase bleeding. Acetaminophen is the over-the-counter drug of choice. Unfortunately, non-prescription painkillers will not be of much help. It is better to by-pass the drugstore or medicine cabinet and get to the emergency room right away.
  
  
• Do not apply ointment or any medication. It is probably not sterile. Also, ointments make the eye area slippery. This could slow the doctor's examination at a time when every second counts.
  
  
• Above all, do not let your child play with fireworks. Do not use them yourself and keep family members away from those who do. Even sparklers are dangerous. They burn at up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit-hot enough to melt gold.

• Fireworks are not toys. Fireworks complying with strict regulations enacted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1976 function primarily by burning to produce motion and visible or audible effects. They are burning at approximately the same temperature as a household match and can cause burn injuries and ignite clothing if used improperly.
  
  
• NEVER give fireworks to young children. Close, adult supervision of all fireworks activities is mandatory. Even sparklers can be unsafe if used improperly.
  
  
• Select and use only legal devices. If you choose to celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks, check with your local police department to determine what fireworks can be legally discharged in your area.
  
  
• Stay away from illegal explosives. Illegal explosive devices continue to cause serious injuries around the Fourth of July holiday. These devices are commonly known as M-80s, M-100s, blockbusters or quarterpounders. Federally banned since 1966, these items will not contain the manufacturer's name and are usually totally unlabeled. Don't purchase or use unlabeled fireworks. If you are aware of anyone selling such devices, contact your local police department.
  
  
• Homemade fireworks are deadly. Never attempt to make your own devices and do not purchase or use any kits that are advertised for making fireworks. Mixing and loading chemical powders is very dangerous and can kill or seriously injure you. Leave the making of fireworks to the experts.

• Spectators should obey all ushers or monitors and respect the safety barriers set up to allow the trained operator room to safely do his job. Resist any temptation to get close to the actual firing site. In fact, the best view of the fireworks is from a quarter of a mile or more away.
  
  
• Although it rarely happens, it is possible that a firework component might fall to the ground without exploding. The public should be cautioned not to touch these fireworks. If they happen to find any which have not exploded, they should immediately contact the local fire or police department.
  
  
• Pets have very sensitive ears and the booms and bangs associated with a fireworks display can be quite uncomfortable -- particularly to dogs. In fact, the noises can actually hurt their ears. Leave pets at home if you are going to a fireworks show.
  
  
• Leave the lighting of all fireworks to the trained operator when you attend a public display. Sparklers, fountains and other items that many states allow for use by private individuals are not appropriate to use when a large crowd is present. Leave your own fireworks at home -- the display will provide plenty of excitement.
  
  
• Sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

• Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks
  
  
• Read and follow all warnings and instructions
  
  
• Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
  
  
• Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from the house, dry leaves, and flammable materials.
  
  
• Never try to re-light fireworks that have not fully functioned.
  
  
• Keep a bucket of water in case of a malfunction or fire.

• Always read and follow label directions.
  
  
• Have an adult present.
  
  
• Buy from reliable sellers.
  
  
• Use outdoors only.
  
  
• Always have water handy (a garden hose and a bucket).
  
  
• Never experiment or make your own fireworks.
  
  
• Light only one firework at a time.
  
  
• Never re-light a "dud" firework (wait 15 to 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water).
  
  
• Never give fireworks to small children.
  
  
• If necessary, store fireworks in a cool, dry place.
  
  
• Dispose of fireworks properly by soaking them in water and then disposing of them in your trashcan.
  
  
• Never throw or point fireworks at other people.
  
  
• Never carry fireworks in your pocket.
  
  
• Never shoot fireworks in metal or glass containers.
  
  
• The shooter should always wear eye protection and never have any part of the body over the firework.
  
  
• Stay away from illegal explosives.

1. The first fireworks were probably made in China, around 2,000 years ago.
   
   
2. Over 130 million fireworks were sold in Britain in 1995.
   
   
3. In the Far East, fireworks have been used at religious ceremonies for centuries.
   
   
4. Last year over 900 people required hospital treatment from accidents involving fireworks.
   
   
5. The word for firework in Japanese, 'hanabi', means 'fire-flower'.
   
   
6. The display in London at the 1995 VJ Day commemoration was Britain's biggest within living memory. It used over 18 tons of fireworks and spanned two miles.
   
   
7. Italy and France were the first European countries to have fireworks, in the 1300s.
   
   
8. At family back-garden displays, sparklers cause more injuries than air-bombs, bangers, rockets and roman candles combined.
   
   
9. The first recorded use of fireworks in Britain was at the wedding of Henry VII in 1486.
   
   
10. Half of all firework accidents happen to children under the age of 16.
    
    
11. The first fireworks recorded in America were set off by an Englishman (Captain John Smith), famous in the story of Pocahontas.
    
    
12. More than 60 under 5s went to hospital in 1997 following a firework accident.
    
    
13. Colored fireworks didn't exist until the 1800s.
    
    
14. Three sparklers burning together generate the same heat as a blowtorch.
    
    
15. The world's largest single firework was set off at a festival in Japan in 1988. The shell weighed over half a ton and the burst was over a kilometer across.
    
    
16. Hands and eyes are most at risk in firework accidents.
    
    
17. A firecracker display in Malaysia in 1988 used over 3 million crackers, measured almost 6 kilometers and burned for over 9 hours - the longest display on record.
    
    
18. There is a British Safety Standard for fireworks: BS 7114.
    
    
19. Most firework accidents are caused at family back-garden displays closely followed by incidents in the street.
    
    
20. Throwing a firework in a street or public place (in the UK) is a criminal offence, with a maximum fine of £5000 (approximately US$7,300).

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