One-third of victims of fireworks injuries in 2006 were under age 15, one of the lowest shares for this age group ever recorded. The highest rates of injuries per million population were for children aged 10 to 14, with males accounting for three-fourths of fireworks injuries.In 2006, nine out of ten emergency room fireworks injuries involved fireworks that federal regulations permit consumers to use. The risk of fire death relative to exposure shows fireworks to be the riskiest consumer product for death due to fire.Nearly half (47 percent) of 2006 emergency room fireworks injuries were to extremities, and nearly half (46 percent) were to the head. Injuries to extremities were primarily to hand or finger (37 percent of total injuries), one-fourth (24 percent) of injuries were to the eye, and one-fifth (22 percent) were to other parts of the head or face. More than half (55 percent) of 2006 fireworks injuries were burns, with contusions and lacerations coming in second (30 percent), and twice as numerous as burns when the injury was to any part of the head or face, including the eye.The report notes that in 2002-2005, an estimated 30,100 reported fires per year were started by fireworks. “Safe and sane” fireworks are neither, and the report notes that when things go wrong with fireworks, they typically go very wrong very fast, far faster than any fire protection can reliably respond.Remember, the sights and sounds of fireworks are a classic, attractive nuisance: if children are present to watch, they will be tempted to touch. Children can move too fast and be badly hurt too quickly if they are close to fireworks, as they inevitably are at home fireworks displays.
National Fire Protection reports child injuries are mostly from sparklers
July 04, 2008
Santa Paula News
Most people think sparklers are harmless, but this Fourth of July don’t be fooled: a majority of injuries suffered by children are from sparklers, and safe and sane fireworks cause more injuries overall than illegal pyrotechnics, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesMost people think sparklers are harmless, but this Fourth of July don’t be fooled: a majority of injuries suffered by children are from sparklers, and safe and sane fireworks cause more injuries overall than illegal pyrotechnics, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The May 2008 NFPA report noted that in 2006, 9,200 fireworks-related injuries were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms.In 2005, an estimated 2,500 reported structure or vehicle fires were started by fireworks. The fires resulted in 60 civilian injuries, and damaged $39 million worth of property. The largest numbers of fires associated with fireworks are grass fires, brushfires, dumpster fires and outside trash or rubbish fires.The report stresses that so-called “safe and sane” fireworks caused more injuries than illegal fireworks, especially to school age children. Whether fountains or snakes, party poppers or ground spinners or even sparklers, the potential for serious injury and fire remains high, even though fireworks have the State Fire Marshal safe and sane designation.In 2006, sparklers, fountains, and novelties alone accounted for more than one-fourth (28 percent) of emergency-room fireworks injuries, including nearly half of all fireworks injuries to preschool children (ages 4 and under) where the type of fireworks device was specified. Corneal abrasion from flying sparks from sparklers held by others, injuries to the feet from stepping on fireworks, eyelid burns, face blistering, and upper leg burns, are among the injuries listed that are suffered by children who use or are near lit sparklers.Very large fires can also be started by sparklers. The NFPA lists dozens of examples, including sparks from a sparkler used as a birthday candle igniting an apartment that caused $1.6 million in damage to the entire complex.
