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Fireworks-Related Injuries

 

How extensive is the problem?

  • In 2003, four persons died and an estimated 9,300 were treated in emergency departments for fireworks-related injuries in the United States (Greene 2004).

  • An estimated 5% of fireworks-related injuries treated in emergency departments required hospitalization (Greene 2004).

 graphic of firecracker exploding
Who is most likely to be injured?

  • About 45% of persons injured from fireworks are children ages 14 years and younger (Greene 2004).
  • Males represent 72% of all injuries (Greene 2004).
  • Children ages 5 to 9 years have the highest injury rate for fireworks-related injuries (Greene 2004).
  • Persons who are actively participating in fireworks-related activities are more frequently injured, and sustain more severe injuries, than bystanders (Smith 1996). 


  

When and where do these injuries happen?

  • Injuries occur on and around holidays associated with fireworks celebrations, especially July 4th and New Year's Eve.
  • Most of these injuries occur in homes. Other common locations include recreational settings, streets or highways, and parking lots or occupational settings (U.S. CPSC 1993).

  

What kinds of injuries occur?

  • Fireworks-related injuries most frequently involve hands and fingers (26%), eyes (21%), and the head and face (18%). More than half of the injuries are burns (63%); contusions and lacerations were the second most frequent injuries (18%) (Greene 2002).
  • Fireworks also can also cause life-threatening residential fires (NFPA 2002).

  

What types of fireworks are associated with the most injuries?

  • Illegal large firecrackers represent 2% of all firecracker injuries (Greene 2002).
  • Firecrackers (24%), rockets (18%), and sparklers (11%) accounted for most of the injuries seen in emergency departments during 2003 (Greene 2004).
  • Sparklers were associated with the most injuries for children under five (Greene 2004).
  • For children ages five to 14 years and people ages 15 to 24 years, firecrackers, rockets, and other devices (including sparklers) were the source of most injuries (Greene 2004).

  

How and why do these injuries occur?

  • Availability: In spite of federal regulations and varying state prohibitions, "class C" and "class B" fireworks are often accessible by the public. It is not uncommon to find fireworks distributors near state borders, where residents of states with strict fireworks regulations can take advantage of more lenient state laws.

  • Fireworks type: Among "class C" fireworks, which are sold legally in some states, bottle rockets can fly into one’s face and cause eye injuries; sparklers can ignite one’s clothing (sparklers burn at more than 1,000oF); and firecrackers can injure one’s hands or face if they explode at close range (U.S. CPSC 1996).

  • Being too close: Injuries may result from being too close to fireworks when they explode; for example, when someone bends over to look more closely at a firework that has been ignited, or when a misguided bottle rocket hits a nearby person (U.S. CPSC 1996).

  • Unsupervised use: One study estimates that children are 11 times more likely to be injured by fireworks if they are unsupervised (U.S. CPSC 1996).

  • Lack of physical coordination: Younger children often lack the physical coordination to handle fireworks safely.

  • Curiosity: Children are often excited and curious around fireworks, which can increase their chances of being injured (e.g., when they re-examine a firecracker dud that initially fails to ignite) (U.S. CPSC 1996).
  • Experimentation: Homemade fireworks (e.g., ones made of the powder from several firecrackers) can lead to dangerous explosions (U.S. CPSC 1996). 

   
How much do these injuries cost each year?

  • In addition to medical costs directly and indirectly attributable to fireworks injuries, U.S. fire departments reported approximately 24,200 fireworks-related fires in 1999 that were estimated to have cost $17.2 million in direct property damage (NFPA 2002).
     

What effect do laws have on fireworks injuries?

  • Studies suggest that state laws regulating the sale and use of fireworks affect the number of injuries incurred. For example, in one state, the number of injuries seen in emergency departments more than doubled following the legalization of fireworks (McFarland 1984).

  • Under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, the federal government prohibits the sale of the most dangerous types of fireworks to consumers. These banned fireworks include large reloadable shells, cherry bombs, aerial bombs, M-80 salutes, and larger firecrackers that contain more than two grains of powder. Under this same Act, mail-order kits to build these fireworks are also prohibited (Banned Hazardous Substances 2001).

 
What is the safest way to prevent fireworks injuries?

 

References 
  • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Federal Hazardous Substances Act. [cited 25 June 2003]. Bethesda (MD): The Commission. Available at URL: http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/fhsa.html

  • Greene MA, Race PM. 2003 Fireworks Annual Report: Fireworks-Related Deaths, Emergency Department Treated Injuries, and Enforcement Activities During 2003.  Washington (DC): U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission; 2004 [cited 1 July 2004]. Available at URL: http://www.cpsc.gov/LIBRARY/2001fwreport.pdf 

  • McFarland LV, Harris JR, Kobayashi JM, Dicker RC. Risk factors for fireworks-related injury in Washington State. JAMA 1984;251:3251-3254. 

  • National Fire Protection Association. Fireworks-related injuries, deaths, and fires. Quincy (MA): NFPA; 2004.  

  • Smith GA, Knapp JF, Barnett, TM, Shields BJ. The rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air: fireworks-related injuries to children. Pediatrics 1996; 98(1):1-9.  

  • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC stops hazardous products at the docks: Preventing fireworks injuries and deaths. [cited 5 May 1996] Arlington (VA): 1996.  Available at URL: www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/success/firework.html

  • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Safety commission holds seventh annual fireworks safety news conference. [cited 28 June 1993].   Arlington (VA): The Commission;1993.

  

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