July 4th Fireworks & Eye Safety
The last U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported fireworks caused 12 deaths and 10,000 injuries annually.
Fireworks are dangerous and July 4 is an especially risky time for fireworks injuries with 15% being eye injuries. The American Academy of Ophthalmology reported in the most severe cases, fireworks can rupture the globe of the eye, cause chemical and thermal burns, corneal abrasions and retinal detachment. All of this can cause permanent eye damage and vision loss.
The commission also reported children age 15 and under accounted for 36% of the total injuries and half of the injuries requiring an emergency room visit were to people age 20 or younger.
Sparklers burn at more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit so they can also be dangerous. Injuries from a sparkler mishap were 1,200 in the same report.
The people injured by fireworks aren’t necessarily handling the explosives. In a study 65% of people injured by fireworks were bystanders. Children and people not handling fireworks themselves are in as much danger as the people actually lighting fireworks.
Let’s leave fireworks to the professionals and practice eye safety all year long!