Fireworks are a staple for Fourth of July celebrations in the U.S. The thrill of fireworks, though, can be harmful. Normally, 230 people visit the emergency room daily with fireworks-related injuries in the weeks around July 4. Almost all these injuries are on the hands and fingers. Fireworks may cause injuries to your eyes. Typical fireworks injuries from firecrackers, bottle rockets, sparklers, and more. Sparklers can burn about 2,000 degrees, hot enough to melt metal!
The American Society for Surgery of the Hand encourages you to attend public fireworks displays, that monitors for security by a fire department. Below are some fireworks safety tips to follow while setting off fireworks at home.
Never allow young kids to play with or ignite fireworks. If kids are playing with fireworks, always have adult supervision. Avoid purchasing fireworks that are packaged in brown paper. This is frequently a sign that the fireworks were made for professional shows and might be harmful. Make certain fireworks are legal in your area before purchasing or using them. Never put any part of your body directly on a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to safe space after light fireworks. Never try to reuse or pick up fireworks that haven’t ignited. Keep a bucket of water or garden hose handy in case of fire.
Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers. After fireworks complete their burning house it with lots of water out of a bucket or hose before dropping it to prevent a trash fire.
The following precautions must be taken when attending a fireworks display: Obey security obstacles and ushers. Stay a least 500 legs from the launching site. Fight the temptation to pick up fireworks debris when the display is over. The debris might continue to be hot. In several cases, the debris may be live and could explode.