Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Brighton: Fireworks Safety

As the 4th of July nears, please make SAFETY your first concern and fun your second. Every year, hundreds and thousands of injuries occur due to fireworks use.

A recent study from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) has shown that in 2010 there were fireworks related deaths and more than 8,600 ER visits for fireworks injuries. Of those injuries, 40% were to children under 15 years old and 50% were to individuals younger than 20 years of age. There were an estimated 1,200 injuries from sparklers and 400 from bottle rockets.
Don't be a part of the statistic. Fireworks are fun and highly entertaining, but a trip to the ER is neither.

If you plan to use fireworks, only use fireworks that are legal in your area. The reason fireworks are illegal has to do with safety. The big fireworks displays are set off by trained professionals and the area where they are set off is carefully selected both for public safety and fire safety. Also, make sure you have a water source nearby and douse all fireworks and lighting materials prior to putting them in the trash. The last thing to keep in mind is that Sparklers can reach temperatures of up to 2000 degrees F (hot enough to melt some metals), and should not be given to small children.

In Brighton the Ordinance states that permitted fireworks should not "leave the ground or create a 'report' (pop/bang)."

For more information on the Brighton Ordinance or to read the entire CSPC study visit our website at www.brightonfire.org. We also have an information brochure with a fun Fireworks safety crossword on the website.

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