With the explosive excitement of Independence Day around the corner, Dr. Corinna Repetto, MD, with IU Health Emergency Services, warns families to stay safe during their festivities.
Dr. Repetto said , “The National Fire Protection Association reports that fireworks start over 19,000 fires and send more than 9,000 people to the ER each year.”
Research from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows about 74% of firework-
related injuries happen in the weeks before and after July 4, and Repetto says they see the
same trend in the emergency departments she works in.
“Burns are the most common injuries, about 40%,” Dr. Repetto says.
She commonly sees patients with injuries to their eyes, hands, fingers, face and ears.
The remaining 60% can include, but aren’t limited to:
- Temporary or permanent hearing loss and ear ringing due to the loud noise.
- Permanent vision loss due to the impact or debris from fireworks.
- Bone fractures from explosions or flying debris.
- Lacerations and bruises to soft tissues.
To prevent ruining the holidays with a trip to the ER, Dr. Repetto’s tips for staying safe and enjoying your holiday are to:
- Have a meet-up point or a plan in case someone—especially children—gets separated
- from your group.
- Keep children and pets away from grills and campfires.
- Never allow young children to handle fireworks, including sparklers.
- Keep pets indoors and in a secure environment during fireworks displays.
- Stay hydrated—drink plenty of water, even if you’re not feeling thirsty
- Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol.
- Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear.
- Never hold lit fireworks in your hands.
- Never light fireworks indoors.
- Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire.
