Tonya Touchstone, MD, pediatrician on staff in the emergency department at DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan offers the following ten tips to keep children and adults safe from fireworks injuries:
• Leave it to the experts and enjoy professional fireworks displays.
• Always purchase fireworks from an authorized retailer.
• Read and follow the manufacturer’s direction for proper use.
• Only light fireworks one at a time and immediately back away to a safe distance.
• Never point or throw fireworks at other people.
• Never give fireworks to children. Even young children who are not lighting and holding fireworks need to be kept at a distance and constantly monitored around fireworks.
• Keep a bucket of water handy in case of a fire or other emergency.
• Once the fireworks stops burning, use water first before discarding it to prevent a fire.
• Do not try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
• Never underestimate the danger of sparklers which can ignite clothing and cause bad burns.
For further information on other safety tips to prevent injuries please visit www.childrensdmc.org/Kippsafetyinfo.