| Celebrating the Nation's Birthday Safely By Coleen Mitchell How will you celebrate the Nation's Birthday? Many of us will invite family and friends to the comfort of our backyards, place some flags out and end the day with fireworks. Fireworks provide a wonderful visual extravaganza for all of us to enjoy. But in the wrong hands the effects can be devastating. One site reports over 7,000 injuries annually due to fireworks. This includes "Sparklers" which I have seen in the hands of many a child on the 4th of July. According to the Intelehealth site ;Sparklers are the second highest cause of fireworks injuries requiring trips to the emergency room. Sparklers can heat up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt gold. With the above statistic, what parent would want to place such an item in the hands of a child? If you absolutely have no choice but to display fireworks today, please use discretion. Only use approved fireworks Find an open area away from crowds Keep people at a safe distance from where the ignition is taking place Do not try to relite "Duds" Keep a Flashlight and large bucket of water nearby Place all used "Sparklers" in a bucket of water Use protective eye wear when igniting these items Leaving Fireworks to the professionals who handle them ensures a SAFE Holiday. If you follow this advice your biggest problem on this wonderful day may only be; "Do I have enough Potato Salad?" and " At what temperature does a Hamburger go from well done to Fossilized?" Have a Happy and Healthy 4th of July !!!! Check out the Links below for more on Fireworks Safety and Where Fireworks are being displayed in your area on this 4th of July. Click Here to find out: Is there Fireworks Displays near me? Do I know what to do with a Fireworks injury? Take this quiz Fireworks Safety |