The statistics on fireworks injuries are startling – in 2015 the National Fire Protection Association reported nearly 12,000 injuries and 26% of those happen to children who were younger than 15. You don’t want your big party to grind to a halt because one of your younger guests handled fireworks the wrong way. Fireworks safety is important for both children and adults, but more so for children because not only are they eager to experiment, they are not always guided by common sense. To properly understand how to keep children safe around fireworks it is important to know why and how some of the most common injuries occur.
Buying the wrong type of fireworks
There are many different types of fireworks available in the market and it is important to know what’s what as you buy them for your home party. Start by looking at packaging – if you buy fireworks that are wrapped in brown packaging they should be handled by a professional only – they are about 4 times as powerful as ordinary fireworks and they have a shorter fuse. Some of the products that are marketed as safe also aren’t – bottle rockets can cause serious face injuries when they fly in people’s faces, firecrackers can explode onto the arms and face and sparklers can light clothing on fire if not handles carefully.
Standing too close to fireworks
Many children who have been injured in fireworks accidents often report that they lit the fuse then leaned it to see whether or not the fireworks would ignite. Child or adult, this is one of the most dangerous things that you can ever do. You should carefully follow instructions as to how far away you should stand once a firework is ignited. It is very important that children are supervised at all times when handling fireworks.
Curiosity and experimentation
Fireworks are exciting to children – not only do they produce so much color when they go off, there is the accompanying bang that seems to hold kids, especially, boys, enthralled. If children are left alone with fireworks they will explore to try and understand how they work, and odds are that an accident will happen sooner or later.
How to keep children safe when using fireworks
The first thing you should do is explain to your children what fireworks are and how they work. There are websites where fireworks are explained simply enough for children to understand. The more your children learn about how fireworks work, the more careful they are likely to be. Here are additional safety tips to keep in mind:
- If you want to buy fireworks for your children make sure that you are dealing with a reliable fireworks vendor. They should have a wide variety of child friendly products that you can choose from. Make sure that you choose age appropriate products – different products are designed for children of different ages.
- Make sure that when children are handling fireworks they are supervised by an adult, ideally one who is well versed with fireworks. Make sure that all fireworks are stored well away under lock and key and away from flames.
- There is a right way to light a fuse on a firework and the sooner your children learn the safer they will be. They must never bend over it or have any part of their body close to it, and as soon as the fuse is they should move well away.
- One of the most common causes of fireworks accidents is relighting duds. All duds must be set aside for at least 20 minutes before they are soaked in a bucket of water.
- Make sure that you have firefighting equipment nearby when you are using fireworks. Your fire extinguisher should be within reach and you should have your garden hose nearby to put off any small accidental fires.
Lastly, make sure that you are conversant with your local laws when it comes to minors and fireworks. You can ask your local fireworks vendor to bring you up to date.
