|
Firework Safety
Fourth of July is upon us and soon many of you reading this
may be injured due to handling fireworks. Each year our hospitals and ER
waiting rooms will be filled with people injured in an effort to celebrate the
4th. Each year sees nearly ten deaths in the US related to firework
use and last year alone had over 12,000 injuries and burns. In order to avoid
you or your family being among these statistics here are some quick tips on
firework safety.
The simplest solution is to simply not use your own
fireworks. Attend a public display in Winchester or a surrounding county. These
displays are conducted by professionals and will likely feature both more and
larger fireworks than any one household can provide. On top of that these are
provided at no cost to the audience.
Never use fireworks when impaired by drugs or alcohol.
Only purchase fireworks from a licensed retailer. It is also
important to buy new fireworks each season and never use outdated fireworks.
When lighting fireworks, wear eye protection and ear plugs.
Do not wear loose fitting clothing. Tie back long hair and make sure the area
you are lighting fireworks in is not dry and easily flammable.
Be sure to light fireworks at least 200 feet away from any
building and do it in a flat place that you can easily run at least 60 feet
away after lighting the firework.
Light one firework at a time and do not re-light any
firework that malfunctions. Do not light fireworks in a container.
Always supervise young children or anyone under 18 who is
lighting fireworks
Never point fireworks at another person or carry them in
your pocket. After using fireworks soak them in water and leave them in a trash
can away from anything flammable. Always keep water nearby when using fireworks.
More fires are reported on July 4th than any
other day of the year. Each Independence Day fireworks cause on average 1,300
structure fires, 300 vehicle fires, and 17,000 other fires resulting in
thousands of injuries and burns. Many of these are attributed to people using
homemade, outdated, or illegal fireworks. Certain fireworks are prohibited in
the state of KY and can only be purchased with a permit, they include:
·
bottle rockets
·
skyrockets
·
roman candles
·
firecrackers
·
missiles
·
parachutes
·
sky flyers
·
display shells
·
aerial items (cakes)
You must be eighteen years of age or older to buy fireworks
and if you are lighting them while under the age of 18 you must be supervised
by an adult. In the city of Winchester, you may only discharge fireworks during
the hours of 10:00 am to 11:00 pm from June 27-July 6 and December 30- January
1.
If you are aware of someone selling illegal explosives such
as M-80s, Chery Bombs, and Silver Salutes, contact the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, and Firearms immediately at 1-888-ATF-BOMBS (1-888-283-2662) or email ATFTips@atf.gov
Article Sources:
https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/tools-resources/seasonal-safety/summer/fireworks
http://www.winchesterky.com/index.aspx?NID=941
Article
Submitted by: Jessica Dominguez, Environmentalist
|
