Fireworks Safety Tips

Independence Day celebrations will take place across the U.S. on Wednesday, but, for some, festivities will be abruptly ended by a visit to the emergency room. There were an estimated 8,600 fireworks-related injuries in 2010, and 8,800 in 2009, according to studies completed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Injuries caused by fireworks occur most frequently between the middle of June and the middle of July, according to the commission. Injuries to children under 15 years old accounted for approximately 40 percent of the injuries for one month between June and July 2010.

Bottle rockets can cause eyelid lacerations, corneal abrasions, retinal detachment, optic nerve damage, rupture of the eyeball and complete blindness, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

"Our eyes are very delicate, so a fireworks accident can be truly devastating," said Monica L. Monica, M.D., an ophthalmologist and clinical correspondent for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "Unfortunately, many Americans get caught up in the excitement of the Fourth of July, and forget that fireworks are also dangerous explosives.”

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The Cook County Sheriff’s office released a list of fireworks safety tips. Here are a several, and the complete list is posted with this story.

• Do not let children touch any fireworks even after they are extinguished; they may still be too hot to the touch. Place extinguished ones in a bucket of water
• Do not carry fireworks in your pocket –even unlit the friction with legal fireworks such as sparklers, glowworms, etc. can set them off
• The most common places injuries occur are the face, eyes, hands, head and ears. If an eye injury occurs, do not touch the eye or flush with water; this can cause more damage. Cut out the bottom of a paper cup, place it around the eye and seek immediate medical attention.
• If someone experiences a burn, immediately apply cold water; do not apply ice. Call your doctor immediately.

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