Fireworks: No Holiday From Safety

We’ve all heard the stories. A seventeen year old lights a firework and begins to count to six or ten, knowing that’s how long the fuse is supposed to be. But something goes terribly wrong: the fuse is shorter than it should be, and it blows up in his hand. Each year, dozens of individuals are horribly injured in situations just like this.

According to a new study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than sixty percent of all fireworks related injuries occur in the month of July. With 4th of July here it is important for Americans to be aware of just how dangerous fireworks can be.

Almost everyone loves aa good fireworks show, and it is sometimes easy to forget that the bright lights and loud sounds are caused by the same types of incendiaries that armies around the world use to make high explosives. Young people are especially likely to forget this because they lack the knowledge base and real world experience to fully appreciate just how explosive fireworks can be.

After seeing a particularly spectacular fireworks display, it is understandable why so many people try to make their own smaller scale show. But before you light any fireworks yourself, or before you let your children nearest them, remember these sobering statistics:

• Individuals under 20 suffered 46 percent of firework accidents, indicating too many young people have access to these dangerous items.
• More than half our the injuries were burns, some of the most painful and difficult to treat of all injuries.
• MostMost of these burns were to the heads of the victims, a particularly sensitive and dangerous place to injure.
• Not all states regulate fireworks, and even those that do might have exemptions for dangerous fireworks sold on Native American land.

Even if you follow all safety precautions (such as keeping a bucket of water nearby and not lighting any fireworks near flammable substances), there is no guarantee that others are being safe. Oftentimes communities will gather, and in these situations it is almost impossible to guarantee that others are paying proper attention to what is going on around them. There is also no guarantee that the fireworks themselves are suitably safe.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a fireworks accident, you may need help getting the quality care to which you are entitled. Do not hesitate to contact an expert on the laws surrounding fireworks safety to make sure that you are not being manipulated into settling for less than you deserve.