WOOD COUNTY, Ohio — Fireworks are a Fourth of July tradition, but they can be as dangerous as they are beautiful.
About 100,000 Americans were sent to the hospital with firework-related injuries last year, with fire crackers being the biggest culprit of ER visits with 1,600 injuries, followed by sparklers at 900 injuries.
Federal officials say most of these incidences could have been prevented by following some of these safety tips:
- Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
- Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.
- Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities.
- After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.
- Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.
- Never place any part of your body directly over a firework when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
You can find more information on fireworks safety on the National Safety Council website.
The spike in last year's firework-related injuries and deaths was due to people setting them off themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Keep you and your family safe by enjoying one of the many fireworks shows around the area!