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July 1, 2021
- Safety
- By Cesar Ornelas
Independence Day is one of our most beloved holidays in the USA. With poolside parties, grills working overtime and relaxation with family and friends, you can easily be lulled into a sense of security. Another of our favorite ways to celebrate this holiday is using fireworks. While the bursts of color in the sky may be beautiful, fireworks are actually responsible for thousands of trips to the emergency room every year.
The team at Cesar Ornelas Law wants you to enjoy your 4th of July celebration, but that doesn’t mean safety has to go out the window. Be aware of the best tips and practices for using fireworks to protect yourself, your children and your home from avoidable tragedies.
Firework Safety Tips
No matter how many times you have set off fireworks successfully, it only takes one mistake to send you or a bystander to the emergency room. The majority of firework accidents every year occur due to an amateur trying to use professional-grade fireworks. Always stick to legal fireworks that are designed for the use of the public.
Eye Protection
No, wearing eye protection may not be fashionable, but it can mean the difference between a safe firework experience and potentially losing your sight or an eye altogether. It’s easy enough to purchase some eye protection to have on hand when you are lighting fireworks this summer.
Intoxicated Use of Fireworks
We all know that it’s likely the adults will be consuming alcoholic drinks to celebrate Independence Day. However, keep a close eye on your intake if you plan to manage fireworks later in the evening. It’s best to have all your faculties to ensure the fireworks are handled safely.
Emergency Precautions
We’ve all experienced the malfunctioning fireworks that don’t go off after they’ve been lit. One of the most dangerous things you can do is approach a ‘dud’ that hasn’t gone off yet. Fireworks are just as likely to be completely non-functional as they are to explode and cause serious injuries. We recommend having a hose and bucket of water on standby. Use a shovel or other tool to carefully move the firework into the bucket of water to soak and diffuse before attempting to dispose of it.
Children & Fireworks
It may surprise you to learn that around 50% of firework-related injuries every year happen to young adults and children under the age of 20. This means that the younger members of your gathering are at higher risk for making mistakes or putting themselves in danger.
Teach Children Firework Safety Rules
Always teach your children — or other young members of your gathering — the best way to handle fireworks. By giving them knowledge beforehand, you can prevent most accidents before they happen. Here are some things EVERY firework handler should know:
- Never point or throw fireworks at another person
- Never hold lit fireworks in your hands
- Never light fireworks indoors
- Never use fireworks near homes, people or flammable materials
- Never light fireworks inside a container
- Never use illegal fireworks
- Never assume fireworks are safe
All Fireworks Are Dangerous
You may believe that some of the smaller firework types like poppers and sparklers are harmless to give to children, but in reality, sparklers can burn at 2,000 degrees! That’s hot enough to melt some metals! Sparklers alone are responsible for more than 25% of firework-related emergency room visits.
All children should be supervised when handling any kind of firework — including sparklers, roman candles, and any other kind you have in your possession. You may even consider switching younger children to glow sticks or confetti poppers to avoid any burns, eye injuries or other accidents.
We Want To Avoid Injuries!
Cesar Ornelas Law might be used to handling the aftermath of personal injury cases, but we want to prevent as many of them from happening as possible! Stay safe during your celebrations this 4th of July, and have a great time with your family and friends. Our team will always be here to help whenever you need personal injury attorneys. Contact us today if you are interested in our services!
Originally from Kyle, Texas, Mr. Ornelas is a first-generation college graduate and a first-generation attorney.
Licensed in Texas, Cesar Ornelas’s nationwide practice is entirely contingency fee-based and consists of a wide variety of catastrophic personal injury and death cases. He has represented countless victims of catastrophic accidents across the United States.
