The 4th of July is upon us and fireworks and celebrations go together. But, fireworks can be dangerous, causing serious burn and eye injuries. Each year more than 3,000 children ages 14 and under are treated in emergency rooms from fireworks-related injuries. Fireworks can be very enticing to young children, yet kids do not comprehend the dangers associated with handling them. We would encourage you to enjoy fireworks at a public display and leave the igniting of these devices to professionals who are trained to use fireworks. A reminder that it is illegal to light fireworks within two miles of the Grand Forks city limits. Safe Kids Grand Forks has these safety tips to offer to keep your Independence Day celebrations safe.
- Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks. Tell children to leave the area immediately if their friends are playing with fireworks.
- Even sparkles that don’t explode are dangerous and should not be handled by children. They burn at 1200 degrees and can cause severe burns.
- Discuss safety procedures with children such as “stop, drop and roll” or calling 911 should their clothes catch on fire.
- Read and follow all warnings and instructions.
- Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
- Never carry fireworks in your pocket.
- Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from the house, dry leaves and flammable materials.
- Never try to relight fireworks that have not fully functioned and never make your own fireworks from combustable products.
- Keep a bucket of water handy in case of a malfunction or fire.
Have a SAFE 4th of July from Safe Kids Grand Forks. Altru Health System is proud to serve as the lead agency for Safe Kids Grand Forks. For more information on this topic and other childhood injury risk areas, contact Safe Kids Grand Forks at safekids@altru.org or visit us on-line at www.safekidsgf.com
