Summer is synonymous with barbecues, parades and fireworks. It’s the time of year when Americans everywhere will be celebrating the Fourth of July holiday with family, friends and fireworks. A new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) highlights the hazards posed by consumer use of fireworks and lack of fireworks safety protocols.

The report shows that between 2008 and 2023, injuries from fireworks have increased overall, despite recent data showing a steady decline since the peak in 2020 during the pandemic when public displays were canceled.

To understand more about fireworks-related injuries hazards around the 4th of July, CPSC conducted an analysis of the injury data in the four weeks surrounding the holiday in 2023 and found the following:

• There were an estimated 800 emergency department-treated injuries associated with firecrackers and 700 with sparklers.
  The parts of the body most often injured by fireworks were hands and fingers (an estimated 35 percent of injuries) along with head, face, and ears (an estimated 22 percent).
• Teenagers ages 15 to 19 years of age had the highest estimated rate of emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries, with children ages 5-9 years old having the second highest rate.
• About 42 percent of the emergency department-treated fireworks-related injuries were for burns.

If consumer fireworks are legal to buy where you live and you choose to use them, be sure to follow the following fireworks safety tips from Security Specialists:

1. Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire.
2. Never allow young children to handle fireworks, including sparklers.
3. Older children should use them only under close adult supervision.
4. Never use them while impaired by drugs or alcohol.
5. Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby fireworks displays should wear protective eyewear.
6. Never light them indoors.
7. Never ignite devices in a container.
8. Only use them away from people, houses, and flammable material.
9. Never point or throw them at another person.
10. Only light one device at a time and keep a safe distance after lighting.
11. Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning ones.
12. Soak both spent and unused firecrackers in water for a few hours before discarding.
13. Never use illegal ones or those that are marked for professional use.
14. Never use fireworks when drinking alcohol or using drugs.

We at Security Specialists Want You and Your Family to Stay Safe and Secure This Summer!