Every year, WakeMed treats nearly 200 patients for burns from fireworks. Please keep yourself and your family safe this Fourth of July by following these guidelines provided by Safe Kids Wake County.
- The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to watch them at a community event where professionals handle them.
- Kids should never play with fireworks or sparklers. Sparklers are designed to throw off showers of hot sparks. These sparks can reach 1,200° Fahrenheit- hot enough to melt some metals.
- Do not allow kids to pick up pieces of fireworks after an event. Some may still be ignited and can explode at any time.
- Fireworks, including sparklers and flares, can cause serious burns as well as blast injuries that can permanently impair vision and hearing.
- Teach your children how to call 911 in an emergency. Also teach them what to do if their clothing catches on fire – stop, drop and roll.
- Where permitted by law, fireworks should be handled and used in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and all warning labels.
Most importantly, Safe Kids urges families to not use fireworks and to view professional, public fireworks displays instead.
Safe Kids Wake County works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the number one cause of death to children in the U.S. Safe Kids Wake County is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to providing parents proven and practical resources to protect kids from preventable injuries. Safe Kids Wake County was founded in 1996 and is led by WakeMed Health & Hospitals.
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