Environmental Health & Safety
Phone: (314) 362-6816
Fax: (314) 362-1995
esafety@msnotes.wustl.edu
Hazardous/Radioactive Materials Disposal
Institutional Safety Committees & Policies
Monthly Health & Safety Update
July 2003
Fireworks Safety
* A two year-old boy was burned on the forearm while running with a sparkler.
* A fireball-shooting fountain tipped over, and a fireball stuck a 4-year-old girl. She was hospitalized for three weeks for burn treatment and skin grafts.
* A 15-year-old tied together the wires of 10 sparklers. The sparklers ignited quickly and burned down very fast, exploding in his hand. The victim sustained a five-inch long laceration to his hand and forearm, exposing muscle, and debris from the explosion lodged in his hand and arm. Luckily, he survived.
* A 12 year-old sustained second degree burns to his hand when he picked up a dud piece of fireworks that he found on the side of a fireworks display.
Although fireworks can be a fun way to light up a summer night, injuries are all too common. Make your celebrations as safe as possible by following these tips:
If you decide to have your own firework display, make sure that fireworks are legal in your state. Do not purchase or use unlabeled fireworks, and never experiment or make your own fireworks. Once purchased, store them in a cool, dry place and check each package for special storage instructions.
When setting up for a home fireworks show, designate a cleared, outdoor area for lighting the fireworks with a minimum distance of 15 feet from houses and flammable materials such as dry grass or mulch. Connect a garden hose to a tap and have it on hand at all times. It is also a good idea to keep a few buckets of water and wet towels handy to extinguish small fires. If you have mulched gardens, consider running the sprinkler system. Finally, stabilize the fireworks in a sand bucket to ensure they won’t fall over. Do not leave them unattended.
When lighting the fireworks always read and follow the directions on the label. Wear eye protection when handling them, and never carry them in your pocket. Light only one firework at a time. NEVER:
! Have any part of your body over the fireworks
! Set them off in a container
! Throw or point them at other people
! Re-light a “dud” firework (instead, wait 15 to 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water).
Fireworks should not be given to small children, and an adult should be present to supervise children at all times (make sure that pets are safe, too).
Finally, wet down all fireworks debris during and after the celebration. Dispose of fireworks properly by soaking them in water before putting them in your trash can. Never drop them straight into a bin.
Click on these links for more information:
http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/seasonal/july4.htm
http://mmsd1.mms.nrcan.gc.ca/explonet/default_e.htm
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/012.pdf
http://www.fireworksafety.com/safety/index.html