02/07/2020
Firework Safety Guide
With the Fourth of July just around the corner, thoughts turn to celebrating the holiday with fireworks. Although fireworks can be exciting, festive, and fun, we want to remind communities that fireworks can also be very dangerous.
“The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports on average, 180 people go to the emergency room every day with fireworks-related injuries in the month around the July Fourth holiday,” said Dr. Gurpreet Mander, HSHS Illinois chief physician executive. “The majority of injuries occur to the hands, fingers, and eyes.”
Safety officials and HSHS Illinois hospitals recommend fireworks be left to experts specially trained and certified in pyrotechnics. However, if you do decide to use fireworks, the following practices will help keep you safe:
1. Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.
2. Never allow children to play with fireworks. Young children can suffer injuries from sparklers, which burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals.
3. Never place any part of your body directly over a firework when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting a firework (only light one at a time).
4. Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them from metal or glass containers.
5. Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
6. Soak all spent fireworks in a bucket of water before throwing them in the trash can. Never discard fireworks, including used ones, in a fire pit.
7. Avoid buying fireworks packaged in brown paper. This is often a sign they were made for professional use only.
Effingham, IL -(Effingham Radio)
