|
Home / Home
How To Use Fireworks Safely
By:John Myre
Danny and his pals had made a really neat discovery. If they held a soda bottle in their hands and lit a bottle rocket inside it, they could use them like weapons.
They weren't totally dumb, either. They put on their sunglasses so nobody would get hit in the eye. They should have worn a coat of armor, too, because it wasn't long before two of the gang got hit in the face and were burned.
The pain was bad enough, but it went away. The scars on their skin will be there a long, long time.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are more than 10,000 emergency room cases related to fireworks each year. Sadder still, there are deaths.
Injuries from the intense heat of fireworks, typically harming the eyes, head, hands, arms or legs, can cause blindness, lacerations, amputations, and burns. Many of the injuries involve children under the age of 15. With the Fourth of July rapidly approaching, keep these things in mind:
Do Your Homework
* Check with your local police department to learn what, if any, fireworks may be legally discharged in your area.
* Display (Class B) fireworks are those used for public display. They are outlawed by the federal government for consumer use.
* Consumer (Class C) fireworks are legal for public sale in numerous states. These consumer fireworks include fountains, bottle rockets, cylindrical fountains, Roman candles, rockets with sticks, mines and shells, helicopter-type rockets, certain sparklers, party poppers, missile-type rockets, illuminating torches, toy smoke devices, revolving wheels and firecrackers with no more than 50 milligrams of powder.
* Remember! Even fireworks that are legal cause hundreds of blinding injuries each year. For example, bottle rockets can move as fast as 200 miles per hour, explode in midair and fly in any direction. What's safe about that?
* Find a safe and legal fireworks display conducted by licensed professionals. Even then:
-stay in the designated watching area.
-do not allow children to retrieve a souvenir shell, even one that has exploded. Shell fragments could contain dangerous explosives.
Family Backyard Pyrotechnics
* If community ordinances allow fireworks, here are precautions to take when using them:
* Always read and follow the manufacturer's directions.
* Store fireworks in a cool, dry area, hidden from children.
* Fireworks should only be lit outdoors on a smooth, flat surface, and away from structures and any flammable materials. Thousands of fireworks incidents cause millions of dollars in damage each year.
* Do not light fireworks inside a can or bottle.
* Don't assume consumer fireworks are harmless. The heat from a sparkler (1,800 degrees F) can melt gold. Imagine the harm it can do to a child's flesh or eye.
* Keep spectators at least 30 to 40 feet away before lighting fireworks. It is estimated that nearly 40 percent of fireworks injuries are to bystanders.
* Keep a water bucket or hose nearby for emergencies.
* Do not try to light a firework that misfired. Soak duds with water. Pick them up with a long-handled shovel, and put them in a nonflammable container.
* Wear hearing protection.
If The Kids Use Fireworks
* Only adults should handle fireworks. However, if you decide to let older children use fireworks under your supervision:
* Discuss safety procedures. Teach children to Stop, Drop, and Roll if their clothes catch fire.
* Show children how to put out fireworks by using water or a fire extinguisher.
* Never place your face or any other body part over fireworks.
* Never carry fireworks in your pocket.
* Leave the area immediately if friends are using fireworks without parental supervision.
* Do not dismantle fireworks, or try to make your own.
* Do not hold any fireworks in your hand once you have lit them.
* Do not throw fireworks.
Digg
del.icio.us
Blink
Stumble
Spurl
Reddit
Netscape
Furl
Article keywords: fireworks safety, child safety, personal safety, accident prevention, fourth of July, family safety
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com
John Myre is the author of the award-winning book, Live Safely in a Dangerous World, and the publisher of the Safety Times Reproducible Articles..
|
|
| Top Home Articles |
- 1). Science of Vaasthu By : Sarathy sadagopan
The surface of the earth as per the Traditional cosmology was divided into 2 parts the east and the west on the basis of sunrise and sunset and into North and south on the basis of the magnetic poles.
|
|
|
- 3). Pool Table Lights Can Really Make a Game Room By : Julien Raynal
A pool table is an integral part of a game room. Be it a garage, separate game room, basement or a club with gaming rooms, pool tables have become a common feature as more and more people are taking an interest in this simple and interesting game.
|
|
|
- 5). Childrens Swing Sets For Home - A Safer Alternative To The Park By : Susan Dean
Childrens swing sets that are erected in your own back yard are not only a fun way to keep your kids happy but you will be much more relaxed knowing that they are having fun in a safe environment. Most people would agree that it is so much more healthier for children to be playing outside in the fresh air instead of sitting for hours in front of a computer or television.
|
|
|
- 7). How to Find the Right Aromatherapy Candle Scent By : Tatyana Turner
Feel sad, tired, or a little bit stressed? Something as simple as an aromatherapy candle could help you relax and feel happier. But not all scented candles have this effect. Let’s find out how to select an aromatherapy candle that can lift your mood.
|
- 8). Furnishing a Spare Room By : Julien Raynal
You have an extra room in your house and you’d like it to utilize the space for multiple purposes; a spare bedroom, an office, retreat and occasionally playroom.
|
- 9). What can an Armoire be Used For? By : Julien Raynal
Families who live in homes accumulate many things over the years. It might be clothes that we keep buying, as we procrastinate over discarding old ones, gifts, items for kids that they have outgrown long ago, papers, documents and a lot of obsolete items.
|
- 10). A Quick Overview of Residential Lighting By : Julien Raynal
Lighting is an important element of a home as it not only illuminates the house but also brings changes in the one’s mood. Home interior lighting involves selecting and fitting light fixtures depending on the utility purpose of the room, cost, power consumption and many other factors.
|
| New Home Articles |
- 1). Tips on Cleaning Paint Brushes By : Mitch Johnson
Sometimes paint brushes can be hard and cannot be used after once or twice using. There are some tips on cleaning the paint brushes, so they are ready whenever you use them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- 5). Home Air Filters - The Many Advantages Of Installing One By : Brooke Hayles
Asthma and allergies are extremely common in households across America and over twenty million people suffer from asthma each year. Surprisingly, there are more allergens and contaminants within our homes than there are outside. That is why home air filters can come in handy!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- 9). Get the Most from Your Fireplace Insert By : Jerry Cahill
Inserts are usually made from cast iron or plate steel. Generall they have glass doors so you can see the flames. An insert either fits in the opening of the fireplace or protrudes onto the hearth. An insert that protrudes onto the hearth is more efficient because the sides, top, and bottom provide additional radiant heat.
|
- 10). 4 Floor Plan Mistakes By : John Morris
Most practicing doctors and other professionals take matters of renovating, rebuilding and redecorating their offices and clinics into their own hands. They do not consult architects, engineers and other building contractors while doing their offices...
|
|
|
