If you are an American, the 4th of July is a special time filled with food, family, friends, and fireworks. My husband gets so giddy on Independence Day and New Years when he can make things blow up. While this provides us joy and awe, it also has the potential to be very dangerous. What can be beautiful and fun one minute, can end up sending you to the hospital the next. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 230 people on average go to the emergency room every day with firework-related injuries in the month around the July 4th holiday. I am all about having fun with fireworks, but doing it safely. Here are some tips to make sure you have a fun AND safe 4th.
-Light ONE firework at a time and then move back quickly.
-Don’t drink and ignite. Save your alcohol for after the show.
-Never allow children to play with fireworks.
-Homemade is normally better but not when it comes to fireworks.
-Don’t carry fireworks in your pocket or shoot them into metal or glass containers.
-Use fireworks outdoors only and in a clear area.
-Always have a bucket of water nearby and water hose ready to go.
-After fireworks complete their burning, douse the device in water before placing it in the trash.
-Never try to re-light or pick up a ‘dud’ firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
-Never have any portion of your body over the firework.
These are just some common tips for using fireworks safely. It’s always important to be safe not sorry. If you know of any other tips, please share them in the comments below! Here’s to a fun and safe 4th of July!