They whoosh and hiss and crackle, and always in the end they go boom — well, except for those dreaded duds. They’re pretty to look at; emitting flash bang pops or sprays of multi-colored sparks. They roll on the ground, scoot across the pavement or thunder up into the heavens.
Any way you slice or dice it, fireworks are fun. Unfortunately, they’re also dangerous. And sometimes those whooshing and popping bottle rockets, firecrackers or sparklers end with very human screams of pain and terror.
According to “Prevent Blindness America,” nearly 13,000 fireworks victims keep hospitals busy each year. And more than half of those injured are children.
One of the reasons fireworks injuries continue to occur is because people simply don’t consider just how dangerous these devices can be.
Just last year alone, a 7-year-old Illinois boy lost half his left hand, including all five fingers, when he lit an illegal M-80 “bomb” that had been hidden inside an older brother’s bedroom. And an 8-year-old girl received second- and third-degree burns to her right leg when a sizeable spark from the sparkler she was holding ignited her cotton dress.
Luckily, the number of injuries each year is slowing. Not as fast as officials with the National Council on Fireworks Safety would like to see; nonetheless, there has been a visible decrease.
The injury rate on legal fireworks has declined more than 84 percent since the Consumer Products Safety Commission began to closely monitor the fireworks industry.
Injuries per 100,000 pounds of fireworks have dropped from 14.3 in 1992 to 4.1 in 2004.
On the other hand, fireworks are no longer regulated to the first four days of the Independence Day celebration. Now, in many parts of the country, fireworks are a mainstay of weddings, birthday parties, picnics and any other celebration.
Illegal fireworks — such as the before-mentioned M-80 — continue to be a serious problem. Over the past 10 years, illegal explosives or homemade fireworks have typically caused 30-33 percent of the injuries associated with fireworks.
But with the enactment of rigid safety standards for consumer fireworks, a safe and enjoyable backyard fireworks display is now possible.
Here are some important firework safety tips:
• Use fireworks and sparklers only outdoors.
• Only persons over 12 years of age should handle sparklers of any type. Sparklers burn too many young people every year.
• Obey local laws. If fireworks are not legal where you are, don’t use them. If drought conditions mean a ban on fireworks, follow the law.
• Only use fireworks as intended. Don’t try to alter them or combine them, such as tying multiple works together into a single mega package.
• Fireworks and alcohol don’t mix.
• 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.
