Families should avoid fireworks at home and, instead, should seek out community events, Shriners Children’s Ohio said.
“Fireworks are obviously very fun to watch, but I think it’s always to be done best in the safety of your community firework display area,” said Dr. Petra Warner, chief of staff at Shriners Children’s Ohio. “You’d be surprised how quickly a controlled situation can become uncontrolled.”
Fireworks can fly off in unexpected directions, Warner said, potentially causing injuries if it comes into contact with a nearby observer. Powder from fireworks can also cause contact injuries and hand-held sparklers can reach up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, so Shriners recommends against children using sparklers.
Last year, Shriners Children’s Ohio had 1,298 visits from patients with a burn injury. This includes same-day surgeries, repeat visits, telehealth appointments, outpatient clinic visits, or in-patient stays.
In July 2022, Shriners treated more than two dozen new burn-related injuries, which includes fireworks, contact burns, scalds, flame burn, and other burns.
Follow directions on fireworks, grills
Doctors recommend if people do use fireworks, only adults should use them and they should also follow the directions on the fireworks. People should also watch which directions the fireworks are going in, and they should also adhere to neighborhood and city regulations that may be in place on firework usage.
“We recommend that adults only handle them,” said Brittany Jamison, a nurse practitioner with Premier Health Urgent Care. “Children should not be handling fireworks.”
People should not use the fireworks inappropriately, Jamison said, such as tying fireworks together or reigniting them. Of the injuries from fireworks they see at urgent cares, it is typically burns, she said, but they also have treated eye injuries from fireworks that ignited wrong.
“I do often recommend to individuals that they use eye protection whenever they’re launching and lighting fireworks. We do encourage people to make sure they’re wearing appropriate clothing,” Jamison said.
People using fireworks should also have a bucket of water, a water hose, and/or a fire extinguisher nearby in case something does wrong and a fire needs to be put out, Jamison said.
Fireworks are not the only summer activity that includes the possibility of a burn outcome. Grills, fire pits, and bonfires also pose a risk.
“Injuries around the Fourth of July are not solely due to fireworks,” Warner said. “More common injures are burns from touching the grill or walking on the ashes of a firepit.”
Children should be stay at least four feet away from fire pits and grills, Shriners said. Even with a doused fire, the coals may still be hot and able to cause burns.
“We recommend very much caution when being outside near anything that has fire related to it,” Warner said.
People should also be careful of wind conditions so as not to spread fires or have fireworks go off in unanticipated directions, doctors said.
“The biggest thing is just to be aware of your surroundings,” said Dr. Nancy Pook, medical director of Emergency Services at Kettering Health. “Be aware of the weather, the wind, where it’s going, and where you’re setting up. It’s important to keep certain people away from fireworks and sparklers, especially as they can get quite hot. They can cause burns.”
People grilling should also make sure they are doing so on a safe and secure surface that is not likely to ignite from anything from the grill.
“Charcoal fires, if they get knocked over, they can spread very quickly,” Pook said.
Seek medical care if accident occurs
If an accident occurs and someone experiences a burn, Warner recommends first brushing off any powders from fireworks if they get on your body before applying water. Some of the chemicals used in fireworks, like different kinds of phosphorus, can cause chemical reactions with water.
Water can be used to douse injuries from grills or other hot surfaces. Only cool water, and not ice, should be applied to wounds to avoid also creating a hypothermic reaction when treating a burn. Any affected clothing should also be removed. A protective, dry dressing should be used to secure the wound.
Shriners also offers specialized care for children who experience burns and can help minimize scarring, as well as help with future growth spurts.
Burns can also range from mild burns to ones needing emergency care that could be life- or limb-threatening.
“If it’s something mild, you can gently cool it, no ice directly to the skin, but gentle cooling of the skin. You can apply a burn cream or a first aid cream over that and bandage it if it’s mild,” Pook said.
More significant burns should be seen promptly, Pook said.
“If anything is life-threatening, if the wound isn’t necessarily closed or it’s not improving, we do recommend that you seek care,” Jamison said.
Fourth of July safety tips from Shriners Children’s Ohio:
- Lead fun and safe activities with children as a safe alternative to fireworks.
- Teach the “Circle of Safety,” which is that children should stay at least four feet away from fire pits and grills.
- Never allow children to light or play with fireworks.
- Adult supervision of a designated firework area is key; do not let children near or around fireworks.
- Never let children handle sparklers—use glow sticks instead.
- Never try to relight fireworks that are not functional.
- Adults should dispose of all fireworks in a bucket of water.
- Keep a fire extinguisher and/or a hose nearby in case of a fire.
- Educate your children about the dangers of fireworks.
- Keep flammable liquids (gasoline) away from designated firework area.
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