The Fourth of July presents the peak of summer fun in America.
The holiday celebrating America’s independence from England is usually commemorated with hot dogs, cookouts, potato chips, and a nightcap of fancy fireworks. The last thing causes safety concerns. Thaddeus Harrington of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently stopped by rolling out to discuss a few safety reminders revelers should consider if they intend to light fireworks.
What should people consider when they purchase fireworks?
Only use consumer fireworks. Don’t make or purchase illegal or professional fireworks. Just stay clear of them.
Last year, over 80% of the tested fireworks were non-compliant. That’s fuse violations, overloaded pyrotechnic material, and prohibited chemicals. The CPSC works with other federal agencies to prevent the sale of illegal fireworks.
So, in general, just make sure that fireworks are legal in your area — that’s your state, your county where you live — and they’re labeled for consumer use and not for professional use.
Can you have an outstanding fireworks show in your backyard and remain safe?
There’s no such thing as a safe firework.
Even sparklers burn out about 2,000 degrees. That’s as hot as a blowtorch. You wouldn’t let your child run around with a lit blow torch; it should be the same for sparklers.
Between mid-June and mid-July last year, there were an estimated 800 injuries involving firecrackers and 700 involving sparklers. About 60% of those injuries were people 24 years and younger. And about 30% or 31% of those injuries were children younger than 15. Never allow young children to play with ignited fireworks or sparklers.
If you have pets, it’s good and helpful to keep them securely indoors and away from fireworks celebrations.
How do you properly store fireworks?
The time before you shoot your fireworks, store them in a cool and dry place away from anything that can catch fire and away from a child’s reach. If you’ve fired off fireworks and there are remnants there, you should make sure you have a bucket of water or make sure you have a hose available to dampen those fireworks because they can still be hot, even though you lit them the day before. Just make sure you dampen those fireworks with water before you discard them and throw them in the trash.
What is the safest way to light a firework?
The safest way to enjoy the fireworks is at a professional fireworks display in your community.
But if you’re going to set off fireworks at home, here are a few tips to do it safely.
-Don’t let children handle fireworks or sparklers.
-Never use fireworks when you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
-Light only one firework at a time and move away quickly.
-Don’t put any part of your body directly over a lit firework.
-Never point or throw fireworks, including sparklers, at anybody.
-Never try to relight or handle a malfunctioning firework.
-Always have a bucket of water or a garden hose accessible, so that you can douse those fireworks or the malfunctioning fireworks with water before you throw them in the trash.
Where can people find out more information about these tips?
Check us out cpsc.gov. We have a lot of information there. We have infographics; we have reports. If you want to really get into the weeds and understand what we found out about fireworks and fireworks safety, that’s a great place to go.
