The data behind the dangers of fireworks
Practice safety to avoid becoming a statistic in the July 4th spike of fireworks-related burns and injuries, say these Carolina experts.
While most Americans celebrate the nation’s independence on July 4, at the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center, the holiday is a day of concern and care. That’s because July 4 and 5 are the center’s busiest days each year, in part, because of people injured by fireworks.
Dr. Booker T. King
On those two days, staff will treat 20 to 30 people, said Burn Center Director Dr. Booker T. King. “By far that’s when we’re the busiest,” King said. “Most of the fireworks-related burns are small, but they can also cause amputation of a finger or fingers. Some will be eye injuries, and some will be really complicated, depending on what body parts are injured.”
It’s also a busy time at hospitals across North Carolina.
Two-thirds of each year’s total fireworks injuries occur in July. The state’s hospital emergency departments typically treat 200 people each year for such injuries and burns, according to Stephen Marshall, director of the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center. Of those 200 cases, 70% happen in July, according to a just-released report from the Carolina Center for Health Informatics.
That’s why Marshall’s advice on fireworks consists of one tip:
- The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend a public display put on by a fireworks professional.
The Town of Chapel Hill presents a Fourth of July fireworks celebration July 4 at Southern Community Park in Southern Village. The event opens at 7 p.m. Fireworks begin around 9 p.m.
Stephen Marshall
Following Marshall’s advice will keep you out of harm’s way.
In reality, you may find yourself around fireworks anyway. Knowing the most common types of injuries sustained by fireworks can help you avoid them.
How fireworks injuries happen
Most injuries and burns are caused by fireworks purchased legally by consumers, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Bystanders are injured as often as those setting off fireworks, and 30% of injuries involve children.
The most common injuries are burns that affect the full range of body parts. Eyes, where cuts, bruises and the introduction of a foreign body occur more frequently, account for other injuries. “Things that fly through the air can do a lot of damage,” Marshall said. “Anything that flies through the air has to finish up somewhere.”
Hands and fingers are the most often injured or burned followed by head, face and ears, legs and eyes in that order.
“An eye injury from a bottle rocket can be a vision disability for the rest of your life,” he said. If you will be around fireworks, wear eye protection. If you injure your eye, minimize the damage by seeking medical attention immediately. Do not rub the eye as it may worsen the injury. Do not apply ointments or take pain medications. Do not apply pressure to the eye. Do not remove objects from the eye.
Burns are most common, said Marshall, who is also an epidemiology professor in the Gillings School of Global Public Health. “In the moment, it’s all too easy to dismiss these injuries as superficial. But your skin is one of your body’s most important organs and when you damage it, that allows bacteria and viruses to penetrate. If you have a firework burn or other injury, don’t hesitate to see a physician immediately. All too often, delay getting care makes the original injury worse.”
King, a professor in the School of Medicine’s burn surgery division, said that people will sometimes treat a burn themselves or wait a day or two. By then, infection may have set in. “It may be deeper than you think or more extensive than you think it is.”
If you experience a burn, minimize the damage by seeking medical attention. Remove anything on the body that can hold in heat, such as clothes. Cool the burn three to five minutes in cool (not cold) water. Do not use ice, vitamin E or other home remedies. Apply triple antibiotic cream and cover with gauze.
King offers more advice.
- Keep children away from fireworks. “People who use fireworks definitely need to be mindful, especially around younger children, because their injuries tend to be more severe,” he said. “Younger children shouldn’t be handling fireworks. Sometimes they’re around older children with fireworks, and they get injured indirectly or they’re somehow pulled into the activity, and they get injured.”
- Don’t underestimate the potential danger. King has treated many severe cases. He remembers one from his time as director of the U.S. Army Burn Center in San Antonio, Texas. A teenage boy was tossing firecrackers into the air and the blast burned his face. He lost an eye.
- Remove combustibles. Carefully check the area and remove fuel, spray paint cans and anything else that might easily ignite.
King also advocates for continued legal restrictions on fireworks sales in North Carolina. “I’ve been in states without as many restrictions as we have here and there definitely were higher numbers of severe injuries in those states.”
Avoiding fireworks use makes sense, especially when you look at the annual data from the Carolina Center for Health Informatics for emergency department visits.
With the past two summers of COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings, people may be excited to entertain friends with potato salad, outdoor fun and fireworks. Marshall looks at the consistent data, and he hopes July’s triple-digit fireworks injuries and burns can be reduced by people following his one tip.
“Take in a professional fireworks show instead,” he said.
