FIREWORKS: INJURIES CAN BE PREVENTED IF SAFETY MEASURES ARE FOLLOWED

The Fourth of July season is upon us evidence of which can be heard popping and crackling throughout Cape Girardeau.

Fireworks tents can be seen near any busy intersection, luring patrons with offers of "Buy 1 Get 1 Free."

But with the fun of setting off fireworks and watching the bursts of fire light up the evening sky, comes an inherent danger to which few people take heed.

"There are two common injuries we see every year at this time," said John Taylor, an emergency room nurse at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

"First, there's bottle rocket injuries," he said. "Everyone loves to have bottle rocket fights I did it as a kid but what ends up happening is that someone gets hit in the head, or the eye, or burned from the explosion.

"The bottle rockets travel at such a high rate of speed, that the impact alone could hurt someone," Taylor said.

"The second most common injury is firecrackers going off in hands," he added. "People like to light them and toss them up in the air, but they can end up not getting it off in time.

"Little hands are a lot more prone to this sort of injury," Taylor said.

Another common injury hospitals treat this time of year is burns caused by fireworks discharging too close to clothes, skin or hair.

"You have to be very careful with anything that has gunpowder in it or is a projectile," Taylor said. "We urge parents to follow the instructions on the labels of the fireworks for proper use."

Sandy Geile, the trauma coordinator at St. Francis Medical Center, said an estimated 70 percent of all eye injuries where sight is lost are related to the misuse or malfunction of bottle rockets.

"People need to recognize that any pyrotechnic device is or can be dangerous because its basic component is black powder gun powder," she said. "The biggest risk any child can run in that kind of situation is the lack of adult supervision."

Geile said that another popular item which can be dangerous is sparklers.

"A lot of times parents will give sparklers to small children thinking its perfectly safe," she said. "But you have to remember that thing is burning at 1200-2000 degrees Fahrenheit and (sparklers) have been known to ignite clothing and cause serious burns to little hands."

Lt. Paul Breitenstein of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department said people aren't all that can be burned by fireworks.

"We notice a few more runs around this time of year," he said. "Last year, a garage burned down and was a total loss."

Breitenstein said smoldering fireworks also can ignite a grass fire.

There are several ways that injuries and accidents can be prevented:

Purchase fireworks from a reliable dealer, with the "C" classification printed on the outside.

Don't purchase fireworks unless the name and address of the company is printed on the packaging.

Read the instructions printed on the package before discharging any fireworks.

Discharge fireworks one at a time.

20Do not try to relight fireworks that fail to discharge.

Avoid fireworks that look like they have been wet and then dried.

Avoid any explosive with a loose fuse.

Do not stand directly over fireworks, especially projectiles, when igniting the fuse.

Do not hold fireworks in your hands when igniting the wicks.

Step away from fireworks quickly after igniting the fuse.

Never shoot fireworks at someone else or at stationary or moving objects.

Stay clear of buildings and vehicles when discharging fireworks.

"Most importantly, supervise, supervise, supervise," Breitenstein said. "The holiday is supposed to be a fun time for kids of all ages. Don't turn it into something tragic by being careless."