It’s no surprise that fireworks maim and injure people every year. Just ask Jason Pierre Paul. The NFL defensive end decided to light some fireworks on July 4th of 2015. His dramatic encounter with fireworks cost him part of his hand and quite a bit of money. His dramatic encounter with fireworks will forever be the event he remembers about his life.
In 2016 alone there were 11,100 reported injuries in the U.S. Fireworks can be enjoyable, but need to be handled safely.
Listed below are some tips from the Red Cross to enjoy fireworks safely:
- Stay at least 500 feet away from a fireworks show put on by professionals.
- Make sure the person lighting the fireworks always wears eye protection. 12% of firework injuries are inflicted on the eyes.
- Keep fireworks out of the reach of small children and away from pets. Approximately 45% of the injuries that occur with fireworks happen to children.
- Make sure that children keep safe distance from the fireworks.
- Young children should wear protective headgear for their ears.
- Avoid using old or broken fireworks. These can be very dangerous to use and can lead to malfunctions that cause serious injury.
- If a firework doesn’t go off the first time, do not attempt to relight it.
- Frequently, this leads to fireworks going off unexpectedly and dangerously.
- Keep a supply of water close by as a precaution.
- Disaster can easily be avoided or injuries minimized if easy access to emergency water is available in case something does go wrong.
- Do not mix drugs or alcohol with fireworks.
If you or someone you know is injured due to a firework accident, call the experienced attorneys at Regan Zambri & Long at (202) 463-3030 to schedule a free consultation.
Tagged
Public Health,
SummerSafety
