Fireworks Safety

Mobility Forum, Jul/Aug 2004 by Teague, Lillian

Just hearing the word "fireworks" can bring all sorts of images to mind: the first time you excitedly watched your father waving a sparkler around on the front porch; warm Jly nights with the smell of fireworks in the air; cautious moms, excited children, and dads acting like little boys again. Even as adults, many people quickly rush out to buy lots of big fireworks to set off with friends and family. Fireworks have been a part of our nation's Fourth of July celebrations since 1777. Since then, things haven't changed much; fireworks still bring a thrill to the hearts of children and adults, yet they remain a very dangerous "toy."

Fireworks have been around for over a thousand years, with the first fireworks being traditionally credited to the Chinese. Fireworks operate by the burning of a chemical mixture. Depending on the effect, fireworks can contain many different substances, with black powder, or gunpowder, being one of the most basic ingredients. When ignited, gunpowder creates great volumes of gas which can then do anything from spinning a paper pinwheel to hurling an object hundreds of feet into the air.

Before you hand your child a twenty and send them under that tent to buy fireworks, you should remember that many states have age limits for purchasing fireworks. Even if they are over the age limit, help your children make safe choices based on where the fireworks will be used. If you have any questions, contact your local police department or fire department. Once you've made your fireworks purchase decisions, apply some ORM to the process. Don't smoke on the way home with the fireworks. They should be transported in your trunk and stored in a cool, dark area out of the reach of children.

The first things you should consider prior to purchasing any fireworks are local laws and regulations. There are personal firework restrictions on many bases. McConnell AFB, KS, for example, prohibits the use of all individual fireworks, according to McConnell AFB Instruction 32-2003 item 18.2. According to the National Council of Fireworks Safety, there are nine states that ban all "consumer" fireworks: Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Seven states only allow sparklers or other "novelty" items: Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Novelty items usually include snakes, airplanes, fountains, and party poppers. The remaining 34 states plus the District of Columbia are more lenient, though many may ban certain fireworks such as bottle rockets. Counties, cities, and even community organizations may have additional guidelines pertaining to where and where fireworks can be used.

There are types of fireworks that are illegal nationwide due to stringent federal safety guidelines enacted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, said Ann Crampton, a spokesperson for the National Council on Fireworks Safety. "Stay clear of illegal fireworks," she said. "Illegal devices include cherry bombs, silver salutes and M-80's, all of which have been federally banned since 1996 because of the large amounts of explosive material they contain." Anything with over 50 milligrams of powder has been banned by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission since 1976. Fuses are not allowed to burn faster than three seconds or longer than nine seconds. The power of illegal fireworks is phenomenal: an M-1000 is equivalent to a quarter stick of dynamite, while an M-80 has enough power to cause the loss of a hand or foot. All fireworks must be labeled with warning labels.

According to federal law, vendors must have a permit to sell fireworks on display. Many states require that fireworks be stamped with an "approval seal" from the state, verifying that the firework conforms to legal standards. There is no smoking or open flames allowed within ten feet of fireworks and the fireworks cannot be stored within 50 feet of volatile liquids or in direct sunlight. Fireworks cannot be ignited within 600 feet of churches, hospitals, asylums, or public schools. They cannot be ignited within 300 feet of gas stations or pumps and 100 feet of where fireworks are sold or stored.

My first experience with fireworks is still visible. A straight narrow scar shows that, yes, I touched that silver metal sparkler to the inside of my arm. Now, decades later, I have a new matching one on my leg from my niece's first experience with fireworks last year. Sparklers can and do hurt!

Common sense dictates that fireworks are risky. Fireworks can explode in the hand, throw sparks in the face, cast hot fragments onto limbs and ignite clothing. Fireworks are unpredictable, and even when all safety measures are taken, injuries can still happen. Even fireworks generally considered "safe" for small children are still very dangerous. Sparklers can burn up to 1800 degrees F. That is easily hot enough to ignite clothing. According to Prevent Blindness America, sparklers are the second leading cause of firework injuries that require a trip to the emergency room, with most sparkler injuries seen on preschool-age children.