Fireworks, though exciting and fun to watch, can also be very dangerous, especially in the hands of untrained users and children. In 2005, approximately 10,800 people were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries, and 60% of those injuries took place in the in the days surrounding the July 4th holiday.
Fireworks-related injuries most often involve hands and fingers, eyes and the head and face. More than half of all reported fireworks injuries are burns, and burns are the most common injury to all body parts except the eyes. In the eyes, contusions, foreign bodies, and lacerations occur most frequently. These injures are often caused by user error, but many times, defective fireworks cause serious injuries, also.
The time around July 4 is a particularly dangerous time. From June 18, 2005-July 18, 2005, firecrackers, sparklers and bottle rockets accounted for most of those injuries seen in emergency rooms in the United States, and about 45% of those injuries were in children age 14 or younger. Males were injured more than twice as often as females. Also in 2005, four people died as a result of fireworks-related injuries, and 5% of the injuries seen in ER’s required hospitalization. Bottle rockets often fly into the user’s face, sparkler’s can ignite clothing, and firecrackers can injure one’s hands or face if they explode at close range. Not surprisingly, people actively participating in fireworks-related activities are more frequently injured and sustain more severe injuries than people just watching a fireworks display.
There are many federal regulations in place regarding the sale and use of fireworks, some states are even prohibited from selling fireworks. However, many different types of fireworks are still accessible to the public. Some fireworks distributors set up shop right at state borders, where residents of states with strict fireworks regulations can take advantage of more lenient state laws. Under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission prohibits the sale of most dangerous types of fireworks and the stuff used to make them. However, despite these efforts, fireworks are acquired by inexperienced and young users, and serious accidents do happen.
To avoid or reduce the chance of injury, do not allow children or untrained users to set of fireworks, even smaller ones such as sparklers, bottle rockets, and firecrackers. Always stand far away from the person setting off the fireworks, and never allow young children to wander off during a fireworks display.
Fireworks can be a fun activity for the whole family if they are used properly by trained professionals. Keep your family safe this holiday week by enjoying fireworks displays at community events hosted by licensed operators.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a fireworks-related accident (or any accident), please visit the website of Denver, Colorado’s experienced Accident Lawyer, Andrew T. Brake, P.C.
