Northeast Florida Safety Council Offers Fireworks Safety Tips For The 4th of July

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - June 19, 2017 - PRLog -- Everyone loves to celebrate our nation's birthday but it doesn't seem official unless there are fireworks. But unfortunately, fireworks are a major cause of injuries during the summer, according to the Northeast Florida Safety Council, Inc. (NEFSC).

         The Council offers general safety rules for handling fireworks and guidelines for specific types of fireworks. General rules include:

•          Never allow young children to handle fireworks

•          Older children should use them only under close adult supervision

•          Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear

•          Never light them indoors

•          Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material

•          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 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

Sparklers

Sparklers are a lot more dangerous than most people think. Parents don't realize they burn at about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals. Sparklers can quickly ignite clothing, and many children have received severe burns from dropping sparklers on their feet.

Bottle Rockets

These small rockets are attached to a stick, lit by a fuse and typically fired from a bottle. Teens have been known to have bottle rocket wars, firing them at one another and causing chest, head and eye injuries. The greatest concern by physicians are injuries to the eye that could result in reduced vision or even blindness.

Firecrackers

Firecrackers are designed to explode on the ground. They are often linked together by one long fuse and explode in a series. They are designed to be very noisy, but they also can cause burns and other serious injuries.

Roman Candles

Roman candles eject multiple exploding shells from a tube the user holds in his or her hand. There have been numerous reports of children and adults losing fingers, experiencing severe burns and other injuries, which are sometimes caused when the device gets jammed.

M-class Fireworks

Just don't use them. Every year people will explode M-80s, M-100s, even M-250s. The unmistakable explosions associated with these devices can rattle the windows of homes for blocks. They are produced illegally and without quality control, have short fuses and cause hundreds of extremely severe injuries each year.

      NEFSC is a non-governmental, not-for-profit, public service organization dedicated to promoting good health, saving lives, preventing accidents and maintaining a safe environment through workplace safety programs, road safety training programs and community service. With four locations throughout the First Coast, NEFSC offers classroom safety courses in addition to online training. For more information about the organization's services, call 904-399-3119 or visit NEFSC.org.

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