Fireworks Safety Tips for Families with Children

When I think 4th of July, I think BBQ’s and Fireworks shows. Maybe you have some favorite family traditions surrounding this summer holiday as well. Or you might be wanting to start your own family tradition.

Now that you have children, as with everything you do now, some thought and planning will need to go into your celebrations to make sure that your little ones stay safe.

As we continue our summer series on safety, I want to talk today about fireworks safety and safety at cookouts. 

If you missed the first in the series Hot Tips to Keep Your Baby Cool This Summer check it out here.

Each year in the US, in the month surrounding the 4th of July,  250 people per day go to the emergency rooms for firework related injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

This statistic alone is shocking. But when you see it broken down by age, I hope it will help you understand the seriousness of the situation.

Those are not just adults who are injured by fireworks each year. 12% of those injuries occur to children ages 0-4. Another 10% happen to children aged 5-9.

Accidents happen. But let’s make sure that they don’t happen to your family.

No one wants to spend the holiday in the ER with a child who has been burned. That thought is too heartbreaking to think about.

Let’s look at some statistics below about Fireworks Related Injury.

Number of injuries every year - 250/day between June 22 -  July 22

50,000 fires every year are reported related to the 4th of July

Most common body part injured

• hand and finger (41%),
• Face, head, ears - 19%
• Eyes - 12%
• Body 15%
• Legs 13%
• Arms 1% 

The majority of those injuries are burns. 

The majority of those injuries happen with illegal, altered  or homemade fireworks.

The most dangerous fireworks

      Firecrackers 25%

      Sparklers 12%

These are the  ones most likely to be used by someone at home.

Sparklers are the fireworks most likely to be used by children. They are pretty and not very noisy. They are widely sold. Parents are more likely to consider these innocent.

But who hasn’t gotten a sting by a stray spark from a sparkler? Sparklers are much more dangerous than most people are aware.

They can get up to 1800 degrees or hotter. That is hot enough to burn glass or metal.

There are so many ways a child could get hurt with them. A child is very likely to burn their hand holding one. They can also wave it too close to another child, causing a burn to them or for the child's clothing to catch fire.  Children can be burned by stepping on a sparkler in barefeet. Or by picking up a burned out sparkler off the ground.

Even long after the fireworks are over, The sparklers can still remain very hot.

The safest place to view fireworks is at public display put on by professionals. But 47/50 states have some kind of legal fireworks laws for consumers in place. So, it is likely that you may go to a BBQ where home fireworks are present. Or, they may be part of your own family tradition.

First, before deciding to go to any fireworks display, public or home, consider the personality of your child. Some babies and children are very frightened by the fire and noise of the fireworks. 

Some also have problems with crowded places. Look at your child’s character closely before going somewhere where they may end up being  frightened.

If you decide to go to a fireworks show, you may want to have a plan in place for how you will get away if your child becomes  upset. Will traffic allow you to leave? Will there be a public facility nearby you can go inside with your child. Can you get to your car to sit until it is over?

I think we have probably all seen children and babies crying and upset at a fireworks display. Don’t downplay how upsetting that can be for a young child. If you have a sensitive child, or a young baby, this may be the year to stay at home.

If you do go to a public display, make sure that eyes are on your child at all times. They can run in fear and get lost in a crowd quickly.

Care for your pets

It is important to point out that more pets - particularly dogs, run away or are lost on July 4th than any other day of year. The animal shelters are overflowing with lost pets on July 5. If you have a pet, think about a plan for them as well. You can find some safety plans for your pet online too. But, If that many pets are anxious and scared, think about how fireworks may affect your child.

Here are some Tips for Fireworks Safety for Children.

• Do not allow children to hold, light or be too close to fireworks.
• Fun alternatives are glow sticks and other light up toys that they can wave.
• Keep children back a safe distance from the person shooting the fireworks and have a hand on them at all times.  
• Dress your children in safe clothing.  
•  Closed toed shoes to prevent burns from stepping on spent fireworks
•  No loose clothing that could catch on fire by stray fireworks 
• Teach children not to pick up spent fireworks  or “dud” fireworks.
• Know who is shooting the fireworks, and what kind of fireworks they have.             Illegal and homemade fireworks are more unpredictable.  

Safety for Shooting Off Fireworks

• Buy legal fireworks only. These will have a label with directions.
• Read all directions
• Do not light fireworks from the hand
• Light one at a time and none in containers
• Do not try to relight a “dud” firework. - Leave it alone for 20 min then douse with water
• Do not lean over fireworks when lighting
• Light the firework and move far away quickly
• Assess weather and wind direction.  
• Know where spectators are at all times.
• Shoot up or away from people - never directly at a person or crowd.
• Keep a fire extinguisher, bucket and water hose nearby
• Afterwards douse all the spent fireworks with water and put into a metal bucket and trash can
• Make sure sparklers are put in a bucket -maybe with sand in it,  as they remain hot

As with the fireworks shows, families love to cook out on holidays. But grills are hot and cause fires. There are special guidelines here too.

Safety Tips for Cooking Out

• Make sure that your grill is serviced
• Move grill away into the open, not under trees, near leaves or under house eaves.
• Do not use grill inside (such as a garage) or in closed spaces.
• Keep children and pets at least 3 ft away from the grill
• Have someone dedicated as  supervisor for the grill at all times. Do not walk away.
• Have a dedicated person to supervise the children at all times - preferably someone other than the grillmaster.
• Use long handled grill tools 

I realize that so much of this is common sense, but with that many injuries each year, a lot of people must not be using common sense on the 4th of July!

But, accidents do happen in the best of circumstances. So, if you or your child suffers a burn from the grill or fireworks, what do you do? Here are a few first aid tips, until you can get further professional evaluation. A Basic Rule is any young child with a burn should go to the ER or call 911 for further evaluation.

Burns are assessed by degree and amount of body surface area (BSA) involved. Children have more BSA by ratio than adults and are more likely to need fluid replacement. If you are unsure of what to do, call your healthcare provider.

How to Treat Burns from Fireworks and BBQs

• Cut away any clothing in contact with burn to minimize damage.
• Rinse the area with cool water.
• Do not apply any ointments to the skin.
• If blistered, do not burst them - Any skin covering is more protective than open skin
• Burns to eye often are  very serious. Do not rinse or treat in any way without calling your primary care provider first.  It may be more harmful to rinse the eye. 
• Do not allow child or person to rub the eye, as more damage can occur.
• Keep your hand loosely over child’s eye to protect it and keep from rubbing.
• You may cover with a paper cup and tape to protect the eye until further evaluation can be gotten.
• Any burn to the eye should be evaluated.  Call 911 or go to the emergency room.

So There you have it. I have given you safety information about Fireworks and BBQs. Those can be the makings of a really fun celebration - with planning and safety in mind. 

Reply to this email with questions or comments or  - better yet, post them in the Private Facebook Community so that everyone will benefit. And Share this information with your friends who have  children so that they can prepare before their own celebrations.

I wish you a safe and fun filled holiday with your  family.

 LuAnn

This information is being provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. It is being provided to you to educate you about caring for your baby and as a self-help tool for your own use. It is not medical advice. This information is to be used at your own risk based on your own judgment. For my full Disclaimer, please go to https://www.dreambabycafe.com