For years, I’ve written about the dangers of fireworks approaching the Fourth of July. And, for years, kids keep getting their fingers blown off and sustaining other injuries and even dying.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Wednesday that at least five fireworks-related deaths were reported in 2018 – all associated with reloadable aerial devices.
“CPSC works year-round to help prevent deaths and injuries from fireworks, by verifying fireworks meet safety regulations in our ports, marketplace and on the road,” said Ann Marie Buerkle, CPSC acting chairman. “Beyond CPSC’s efforts, we want to make sure everyone takes simple safety steps to celebrate safely with their family and friends.”
Injuries
There were about 9,100 fireworks-related, emergency department-treated injuries in 2018, with 62 percent of them occurring during the month surrounding the Fourth of July. During that period, firecrackers were the number one cause of injuries, making up for 19 percent of the estimated injuries. For children under 5 years of age, sparklers accounted for more than half of the total estimated injuries.
Deaths
Since 2018 reporting isn’t complete, the five fireworks-related deaths are considered a minimum. The victims range in age from 16 to 49. In one of the reported cases, an 18-year-old launched a mortar shell from a tube on the top of his head. The ignited shell didn’t launch and exploded. The victim died in the hospital the next day.
CPSC staff has reports of 121 fireworks-related deaths between 2003 and 2018.
Tips to celebrate safely
“Each year, too many emergency room doctors see too many fireworks-related injuries,” said Sarah Combs, M.D., an emergency room doctor for Children’s National Medical Center. “Don’t make the emergency room part of your holiday; don’t let children play with fireworks.”
Even if your consumer fireworks are legal, they still come with risks. If you light fireworks, keep safety in mind for you, your family, and those around you:
- Make sure consumer fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.
- Never use or make professional-grade fireworks.
- Don’t buy or use fireworks that are packaged in brown paper. This is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and aren’t for consumer use.
- Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks, including sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees. That’s hot enough to melt some metals.
- Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Move to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
- Never point or throw fireworks at another person or occupied area.
- Light fireworks one at a time, then move away from them quickly.
- Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
- Never try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks. Soak them with water and throw them away.
- Douse the spent device after it stops burning with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.
For more information, visit the fireworks safety education center and check for fireworks recalls at CPSC.gov.
