1. fIREWORKS SAFETY

Fireworks Injuries	Fireworks can be handled safely

 

Overview

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that 8,800 people were treated for fireworks related injuries in 2003.

In 1976, CPSC enacted national standards for family-type fireworks in response to a petition calling on CPSC to ban all fireworks except for licensed public displays.  All fireworks now legally available for sale to consumers must comply with the CPSC rules.  Since the adoption of these regulations, the amount of fireworks used each year has doubled, suggesting that the injury rate in terms of injuries per one million pounds of fireworks ignited has declined significantly.

 “In instances where legal types of fireworks were involved in accidents, either from misuse or malfunction, the resulting injuries were relatively minor and did not require hospitalization.  A majority of the injuries from the “consumer” or family-type fireworks involved misuse rather than malfunction.

 Illegal fireworks continue to be a serious problem.  Over the past 10 years, 30-33% of the injuries associated with fireworks have typically been caused by illegal explosives or homemade fireworks.

Supported by the International Association of Fire Fighters