The Fourth of July can be one of the best holidays on the calendar, and it can certainly make for the highlight of your summer. Complete with fireworks while having some ice cold beverages, some of the best tasting foods of the year, and parties, parades, and more, it helps define the American summer. Here are a couple fireworks safety tips that you may need to keep out of danger.
In many areas, fireworks are part of the celebration, and often that includes lighting your own fireworks to help celebrate the occasion. Unfortunately, fireworks injuries are a part of this important holiday, too.
Thousands of people are treated in emergency rooms each year as a result of fireworks injuries, and in St. Petersburg, personal injury attorneys frequently see cases related to this dangerous form of entertainment. If you plan to shoot fireworks this year, stay safe with these tips.
• Use only legal fireworks. Illegal choices are far too dangerous to even consider. You’ll know an illegal firework when you spot one because they tend to be unlabeled. Legal ones have to include the manufacturer’s name on them. Illegal choices have been banned for years, but they’re still around, and some people go as far as making their own fireworks, which are far more dangerous than commercially sold choices.
• Fireworks should always be used outside. There is no safe indoor facility in which it’s okay to shoot fireworks.
• When you are using fireworks outside, make certain you have a bucket of water nearby. A garden hose is a good idea as well. Accidents do happen, and having these items at the ready can help prevent further property damage or injury.
• Perhaps the best fireworks safety tip ever; never hold fireworks in your hand as you attempt to light them. The fuse could easily go off well before you planned, leaving you with serious injuries.
• Make certain you point any fireworks away from other homes, as well as brush and leaves or other flammable materials. Property damage from fireworks is almost as common as injuries, and you could be liable for any damage done by your fireworks.
• Stay away from others shooting fireworks. It’s very possible to have one go off in the wrong direction or backfire on the person who is attempting to shoot it. Likewise, make sure you don’t point fireworks at others.
• Don’t re-light fireworks that haven’t gone off the first time. It’s possible that it’s about to go off, so leaning over it to re-light it could injure you. Instead, allow it to stand for at least 20 minutes, and then let it soak in your bucket of water overnight to make certain it doesn’t catch fire.
• Wear protective clothing when you’re working with fireworks. Cotton or denim pants are a good choice, as are covered shoes. You may also want to wear eye protection and ear plugs, if necessary, to help protect your hearing.
• Have a first aid kit nearby as you are working with fireworks. This is especially true if you plan to head out to a remote area to use your fireworks. Pack one in the car with all of the necessary items.
• Alcohol and fireworks don’t mix. It impairs your ability to make good judgments, which can lead to a higher risk of personal injury or property damage.