The National Safety Council advises everyone to enjoy fireworks at public displays conducted by professionals and not to use any fireworks at home. They may be legal, but they pose significant safety hazards. Every year, thousands of people are injured badly enough to require medical treatment after fireworks-related incidents, with many of the injuries to children and young adults.
While the majority of these incidents are due to amateurs attempting to use professional-grade, homemade, or illegal fireworks or explosives, less powerful devices like small firecrackers and sparklers can also cause significant injuries. Sparklers burn at about 2,000 degrees—hot enough to melt some metals. Sparklers can quickly ignite clothing, and children have received severe burns from dropping sparklers on their feet.
For those who do use fireworks at home, NSC offers the following tips:
- Never allow young children to handle fireworks
- Older children should use them only under close adult supervision
- Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
- Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
- Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
- Never light them indoors
- Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material
- Never point or throw fireworks at another person
- Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
- Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
- Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire
