Sparklers most commonly injure children
Submitted by jcht2010 on
With Independence Day and the related festivities right around the corner, Jackson County Hospital EMS Director James Sudik wants to remind Jackson County residents that safety should be at the forefront of their minds this holiday.
Small children remain the most at risk, especially since they are typically allowed to handle fireworks most parents consider “safe.”
“One of the things people miss with kids that are five and under – our small kids – are things that we think are harmless like the sparklers,” he said, “That is the most common source of injury in children. Glass melts at about 900 degrees. Wood burns at about 575 degrees. We bake a cake at 350 degrees. Sparklers burn at about 1,200 degrees.”
He said that small children also have shorter arms than adults, meaning the sparklers are closer to their bodies.
“You’ve got this 1,200 degree piece of glowing hot metal, and with their little arms they just can’t keep them far enough away to be safe. Sparklers injure kids more than any other firework.”
Other commonly seen firework-related injuries include people attempting to make their own fireworks, using illegal fireworks (such as those meant for professionals) and, of course, the lighting of fireworks by intoxicated people.
“Fireworks and alcohol don’t mix,” said Sudik, “Folks like to enjoy themselves on the holiday and they should be able to do that, but drink after the fireworks.”
Adults often become injured after lighting a “dud,” or what they perceive to be a malfunctioning firework.
“They go back to see why it didn’t go off, and one of three things can happen,” Sudik said, “They can’t do anything with it, and nothing happens, or as they’re trying to handle it the fuse takes off and it blows up in their hand, or they try to relight it, and there isn’t much fuse left, so it goes off right away.”
Sudik advises to always have a water source like a water hose or a bucket available to douse malfunctioning and expended fireworks.
“If it doesn’t go off, you should wait at least 20 minutes to make sure nothing happens, and then douse it with water and throw it away,” he said.
Sudik also reminded residents to never shoot a firework out of any kind of container, such as a bottle, and to light them one at a time. He said to always check city ordinances and check for burn bans.
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