Summer is here, and with the sun and fun come plenty of safety hazards. As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, there are additional risks if you choose to celebrate with fireworks. However, the holiday doesn’t have to be hazardous if you know what dangers to watch for and how to avoid them.
Thousands of people are injured by fireworks every year badly enough to need medical attention, and most of those injuries could have been prevented. The most common injuries are burns to the hands, arms or face, and eye injuries.
Peter Mick, APRN in the Great Bend Campus Emergency Department, offers these tips to help you prevent injuries to yourself and those around you:
Do not allow children to light fireworks.
Closely supervise children around fireworks.
Educate children about the dangers of fireworks.
Maintain a safe distance from fireworks.
Never shoot fireworks toward people.
Keep a bucket of water nearby.
Have a well-stocked first-aid kit handy.
Soak spent and unused fireworks well before discarding.
If an injury from fireworks occurs, remember:
Stop the burning process.
Use cool – not cold or icy – water to help cool the burn.
Keep the burned area covered.
Do not pop blisters that develop.
If an eye injury occurs:
Don’t rub your eyes.
Don’t rinse your eyes.
Don’t apply pressure to your eyes.
Don’t remove objects stuck in the eye.
Seek medical attention immediately.
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