Safety Reminder Over The 4th of July - June 26, 2009

As millions of Americans prepare to celebrate their nation's independence, now is a good time to be aware of safety issues to avoid unnecessary injuries resulting from holiday fireworks and travel.  According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission/EPHA, during the last 10 years, the amount of fireworks by weight, imported into the United States, has more than doubled. Thankfully, the number of injuries per 100,000 pounds of fireworks has been on the decline but the estimated number of emergency room treated injuries still remains roughly between 8,300 and 10,800 per year.

Approximately 16% of firework injuries to the public occur from sparklers burning hands and legs. The majority of those injuries occur to young children. The National Fireworks Safety Council urges parents to review the following safety steps. Following these steps will hopefully reduce the number of injuries to young children experienced this year.

Do Not allow any child under 12 to use sparklers without VERY close adult supervison.

Always stand while using sparklers.

Do Not use sparklers while holding a child in your arms.

Do Not hold or light more than one sparkler at a time.

Always wear closed-toe shoes when using sparklers.

Always drop used sparklers in a bucket of water to avoid burns from the hot spent wires.

Never hand a lite sparkler to another person.

Never throw sparklers or run with sparklers.

Instruct children to hold sparklers at arms' length away from themselves and others.

Instruct children not to wave sparklers, especially wooden stick sparklers.

The Padberg & Corrigan Law Firm encourages everyone to be sparkler smart and highway safe during this year's Fourth of July holiday celebrations.