Maybe you prefer to brave the heat and fire up the grill or jump into the pool, but there is no denying when it comes to the biggest summer holiday, Independence Day, lighting off a few fireworks reigns supreme.
While they can be a fun and mesmerizing spectacle for children and adults alike, fireworks can pose a significant health and safety hazard, especially to eyes and vision.
Fireworks and Eye Safety for Children This Summer
If you are planning to celebrate with fireworks, you must remember that there are inherent dangers. Even if you take care to only have fireworks handled by responsible adults, it may not be enough.
Around 65% of all fireworks-related injuries occur to bystanders, and unfortunately, children and young adults can often make up the bulk of those accidentally injured. Kids under the age of 15 make up around a third of all injuries, and most required emergency room care occurs under the age of 20.
So in preparation for fireworks season, we’ll take a look at some safety precautions you can take to help keep yourself and your loved ones from being a statistic.
1. General Safety Practices for Fireworks
If you love fireworks, the best way to enjoy them safely is to opt for a professionally managed show rather than setting off your own. But if you want to set up a pyrotechnics display of your own, and it is legal and safe to do so in your area, make sure to follow the general safety tips from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, including:
- Do not allow young children to play with any fireworks, including sparklers which can burn at temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Do not allow running or horseplay with sparklers in hand or around other fireworks displays.
- Keep water and a fire extinguisher close at hand.
- Do not try to re-light any dud fireworks.
- Do not point a firework at another person (lit or not).
By practicing proper fireworks safety, you drastically reduce the chances of you and your family experiencing scary injuries.
2. Protecting the Eyes When Using Fireworks
Of the many fireworks injuries each year, 15% are to the eyes – making them the third most common injury. Hands and legs account for a combined 52% of injuries. Here are a few key tips for protecting your and your kid's eyes:
- The safest way to view fireworks is from a distance of 500 feet away or more, so make sure you are in a large enough open area to accommodate safety.
- Delayed explosions can be destructive to your eyes. Do not pick up a dud. If it lights and does not explode, leave it until it can be doused.
- When it comes to sparklers, it is vital children hold them away from their faces and eyes and know to keep a distance from others while lit.
- Whether you are lighting fireworks or watching, ensure everyone wears protective eye gear like safety glasses or goggles, especially younger children.
- If you are lighting fireworks, do not hold them near your face or eyes.
3. Safer Alternatives to Fireworks
For those with young children or who plan on some celebratory drinking, making a few switches from fireworks can help keep you and your family out of the ER over the holiday.
Put down the lighters and sparklers and pick up some glow sticks. You won’t have the risk of burns, injuries, or fires from the sparks and spent rods while you can run around to your heart's content. Glow sticks allow you to bring a little more light and celebration around pets, into pools, and through the woods.
With a lifespan of up to six hours in most cases, glow sticks last far longer than fleeting sparklers.
And if you still want a bit of spectacle, you can create the illusion of fireworks and create a genuinely celebratory ambiance. Set up a laser light show with an LED projector and set it to your soundtrack of choice. You can sync up the lights and music for a whole concert-like experience for the more technically minded.
What To Do in the Event of an Eye Injury
You can read more about fireworks, eye safety, and some additional alternatives in our prior blog posts. Being proactive about minimizing danger is the best step to keep yourself from eye damage, but if an accident does occur, keep the following steps in mind:
- Do not rub or apply pressure to the eye.
- If there is an object in the eye, leave it in and take steps to keep from moving that eye.
- Do not attempt to rinse the eye out or treat it with eye drops.
- Seek medical attention immediately. You should not wait until the next day.
When it comes to your eye health and vision, you never want to delay seeking medical attention if you or your child have been injured. If you have experienced any kind of eye injury, whether it is from fireworks, sports, or just daily life, after you have sought emergency medical care, you should always follow up with your optometrist.
Asheville Vision and Wellness has been serving western North Carolina since 1989 with dedicated staff and the best available technology. Contact us today to get started on your way to a better-looking future.