According to a new Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) report of fireworks incidents in 2016, 11,100 consumers were injured and treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms and four died as a result of direct impact from fireworks.
Children younger than 5 had the second highest rate of injury behind young adults ages 20 to 24. Injuries associated with consumer fireworks were most often burns to the hands, face and head. Many of the fireworks injuries were a result of misuse or malfunction of fireworks.
- What is considered misuse?
- Mischief
- Lighting fireworks inside a body part or in hand
- What is a malfunction?
- Fireworks straying off course
- Short fuses
- Blowouts and fragment pieces
- Tip-over incidents
The four fireworks-related deaths were associated with illegal or professional devices. Three of the four deaths involved reloadable aerial devices, and the fourth involved illegal home manufacturing.
- 3 Steps to a Safer Celebration
- Never allow children to handle a firework device.
- Check local laws and only use legal, consumer-grade fireworks.
- Leave professional fireworks to the professionals.
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