Use Caution With Fireworks This Fourth Of July

The Fourth of July is this weekend, which means that many people will be celebrating the holiday with fireworks of all kinds. This week, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran an interesting story reminding people to be safe while using fireworks or just leave it to professionals.

The Philadelphia Inquirer discussed an accident involving fireworks that happened last year when a 19-year-old was shot in the eye with a mortar immediately after lighting its fuse, which a friend had talked him into doing.

The man ended up at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia with serious damage to his left eye and ended up suing is friend, the manufacturer of the firework, and the Bucks County seller, Sky King Fireworks for damages.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, around 18,700 people were injured by fireworks last year and required treatment at hospitals, doctor’s offices, clinics and other medical facilities within 30 days surrounding July Fourth. Almost half of those injured where children under the age of 18, according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

“It is no mystery that fireworks can be dangerous and can result in serious injury,” a trauma surgeon and trauma specialist told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

This is why many states do not allow the sale of the most powerful fireworks, but even sparklers, bottle rockets and small firecrackers can do a lot of damage and accounted for about 1,900 emergency room visits last year, the CPSC said.

In Pennsylvania, most fireworks are illegal without a permit, but the state allows them to be sold to citizens of other states regardless to what their states’ rules are. Neighboring New Jersey bans all fireworks, including sparklers, so many people sneak to Pennsylvania to make purchases.

Use the utmost of caution this year if celebrating the Fourth of July with any type of fireworks. And, of course, keep all fireworks out of the hands of children. Not only are fireworks a risk to children’s safety, they can also create a major liability for the purchasers.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, “Too many still fool with fireworks, officials warn,” Peter Mucha,” 6/28/2011.