WASHINGTON, D.C. — Fireworks are a July 4th tradition nationwide but if they aren’t used properly, these explosives can cause thousands of injuries every summer.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) showed how fireworks can hurt and even kill you if they’re mishandled during an in-person demonstration on Thursday morning.
New agency data shows there were 11 deaths from fireworks last year. The victims range from as young as 11 to 43. Fireworks also caused more than 10,000 injuries.
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“These injuries and deaths don’t happen just on the fourth of July. 75 percent are in the two weeks leading up and the two weeks following the fourth of July,” said Alex Hoehn-Saric, Chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Experts also want you to be careful when using sparklers, especially around kids. They might be small, but sparklers can burn at temperatures around 2,000 degrees.
“That’s the heat of hot coals, that’s the heat of a blow torch,” said Dr. Sarah Combs, emergency medicine physician at Children’s National. “It takes two or three seconds to sustain a full-thickness burn.”
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Doctors say the most common injuries from fireworks are third-degree burns to the hands and face. They say those injuries can be life-changing especially for kids.
“When the skin comes back, it heals in a fashion where the finger is slightly bent so you can imagine that decreases the function of your hand,” said Dr. Combs. “If you have that injury at the age of two or three years that means you’re going through a whole lifetime ahead of you with decreased mobility.”
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Doctors say children are often hurt by fireworks as bystanders during private events. That’s why officials want you to stay safe and leave it to the professionals on July 4th.
The CPSC says fireworks can also be deadly if they contain illegal components. This includes prohibited chemicals and fuses that don’t comply with the law.
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