SAN ANTONIO — We're just one week away from the Fourth of July and no doubt many of you have already started preparing that at-home firework display. In our latest Healthy SA, we find out the things you need to know before lighting a fuse.
Along with the fun of fireworks, comes the element of danger. There are steps you can take to avoid becoming a statistic this Fourth of July holiday, starting with stick to only legal fireworks.
AJ Burns from North Central Industries and Grizzly Fireworks told KENS 5, "The legal fireworks are going to have those safety warning labels on them, telling you what the device is going to do. They're tested due to strict parameters to make sure that you have time to get away from them once they've been lit."
The National Safety Council says in one recent year fireworks killed eight people and injured more than 12,000 others. Plus, 50% of firework injuries were suffered by children and young adults under 20. They also say 1,200 injuries a year can be attributed to small firecrackers and sparklers, which can be well over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit when lit.
Burns added, "The biggest thing is that that metal rod, when you get done with the sparkler, it gets dropped on the ground more often than not, and that's where people step on them."
The National Safety Council has these firework safety tips. Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol. Never hold fireworks in your hands. Never throw or point 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.
"Dousing spent fireworks with water, a fire hose, a bucket of water, something like that's always a good idea. Let them rest for 20 minutes once you're done shooting them to cool off," said Burns.
For more firework safety tips check out celebratesafely.org.
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