Safe and Sain Fireworks

Summer is synonymous with barbecues, parades, and fireworks. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) advises everyone to enjoy fireworks at public displays conducted by professionals, and not to use any fireworks at home. They may be legal but they are not safe.

CPSC staff received reports of 9 non-occupational, fireworks-related deaths during 2021. Six of the deaths were associated with firework misuse; one death was associated with a mortar launch malfunction; and two incidents were associated with unknown circumstances. Reporting of fireworks-related deaths for 2021 is not complete, and the number of deaths identified for 2021 should be considered a minimum.

· Fireworks were involved with an estimated 11,500 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments during calendar year 2021 (95 percent confidence interval 8,300–14,700). The estimated rate of emergency department-treated injuries is 3.5 per 100,000 individuals in the United States, a decrease from 4.7 estimated injuries per 100,000 individuals in 2020.

· There is a statistically significant trend in estimated emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries from 2006 through 2021. This trend estimates an increase of 274 fireworks injuries per year (p-value = 0.0004).

· An estimated 8,500 fireworks-related injuries (or 74 percent of the total estimated fireworks-related injuries in 2021) were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments during the 1-month special study period between June 18, 2021, and July 18, 2021 (95 percent confidence interval 5,600–11,300).

Results from the 2021 Special Study

· Of the 8,500 estimated fireworks-related injuries sustained, 59 percent were to males and 41 percent were to females.

· Adults 25 to 44 years of age experienced about 32 percent of the estimated injuries, and children younger than 15 years of age accounted for 29 percent of the estimated injuries. Seniors 65+ years of age experienced a small percent of the estimated injuries at only 4 percent.

· Young adults 20 to 24 years of age had the highest estimated rate of emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries (5.1 injuries per 100,000 people). Children, 5 to 9 years of age, had the second highest estimated rate (4.5 injuries per 100,000 people). A general decrease is noted comparing the 2021 rates to the 2020 rates, except for children 5 to 14 years of age, which saw an increase from 3.3 injuries to 4.2 injuries per 100,000 people.

· There were an estimated 1,500 emergency department-treated injuries associated with firecrackers and 1,100 with sparklers.

· The parts of the body most often injured were hands and fingers (an estimated 31 percent); head, face, and ears (an estimated 21 percent); legs (an estimated 15 percent); eyes (an estimated 14 percent); trunk/other regions (an estimated 10 percent); and arms (an estimated 8 percent).

· An estimated 32 percent of the emergency department-treated injuries were burns. Burns were the most common injury to hands and fingers. Contusions and lacerations, accounting for 21 percent of the emergency department-treated injuries, were the most common injury to the head, face, and ears.

· Approximately 83 percent of the victims were treated at the hospital emergency department and then released. An estimated 15 percent of patients were treated and transferred to another hospital, or they were admitted to the hospital.

· CPSC staff conducted telephone follow-up investigations on a selected sample of fireworks-related injuries reported in NEISS during the special study period, to clarify information about the incident scenario or fireworks type. A review of data from the 11 completed follow-up investigations showed that most injuries were associated with misuse or malfunction of fireworks. Most victims recovered or were expected to recover completely. However, there were victims who reported that their injuries might be long- term.

Here is the 2021 Fireworks Annual Report

If You Choose to Use Legal Fireworks

If consumer fireworks are legal to buy where you live and you choose to use them, be sure to follow the following safety tips:

• Never allow young children to handle fireworks
• Older children should use them only under close adult supervision
• Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
• Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
• Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
• Never light them indoors
• Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person
• Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
• Never ignite devices in a container
• Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
• Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
• Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don't go off or in case of fire
• Never use illegal fireworks

Better yet, grab a blanket and a patch of lawn, kick back and let the experts handle the fireworks show.

Sparklers Are Dangerous

Every year, young children can be found along parade routes and at festivals with sparklers in hand, but sparklers are a lot more dangerous than most people think.

Sparklers burn at about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals. Sparklers can quickly ignite clothing, and children have received severe burns from dropping sparklers on their feet. According to the?National Fire Protection Association, sparklers alone account for more than 25% of emergency room visits for fireworks injuries.?For children under 5 years of age, sparklers accounted for nearly half of the total estimated injuries.

Consider using?safer alternatives, such as glow sticks, confetti poppers or colored streamers.