4th of July means family, fun, and fireworks. But each year, thousands of people nationwide end up in the hospital over the holiday weekend because of fireworks-related injuries.
If you plan to use fireworks or sparklers this Independence Day weekend, safety should be a top priority.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, sparklers can quickly catch your clothing on fire so always keep them away from your body.
They can reach temperatures higher than 13,000 degrees and can cause third-degree burns.
Make sure to supervise your children when using sparklers. Once a sparkler is out, place it in a bucket of water because it tends to stay hot for a long time.
As for consumer fireworks, the NFPA says they cause thousands of burns and injuries every year.
- Point the fireworks away from any homes, trees or of course people
- Never try to pick up a firework that has not fully ignited
- Light them one at a time and move back quickly
The NFPA says it’s safer to leave it to the experts and go see a public fireworks display instead.
