There is something nostalgic about sitting outside on a warm summer night watching the sky light up in bursts of brilliant color. It brings back memories of simple times filled with good food, lots of laughter and enjoying life with friends and family.
While we can all appreciate the splendor of a great fireworks show on the Fourth of July, it is important to remember that fireworks can be extremely dangerous. Did you know that most firework injuries occur during the one month period surrounding the Fourth of July? The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that nearly 12,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries in the United States in 2015, and about 2,000 of those were eye injuries. Fireworks can cause eye damage through chemical or thermal burns and injuries to the eyeball, resulting in permanent vision loss.
These are not benign, safe, colorful toys. They are miniaturized explosions and they have to be treated with care. These injuries are preventable. If we can reach one child or one family member and prevent a firework from going off too near their face and blinding them, that is our goal – to save at least one person’s vision. Keep yourself and your eyes safe this summer and enjoy treasured holiday traditions with these important safety tips!
Here are some tips to keep you safe this Fourth of July:
If you are attending a professional fireworks show or live in a community surrounding the shows:
How to treat a firework related eye injury
If an eye injury from fireworks occurs, remember to:
Protect the sparkle in your eye this 4th of July!
Make an appointment today!
While we can all appreciate the splendor of a great fireworks show on the Fourth of July, it is important to remember that fireworks can be extremely dangerous. Did you know that most firework injuries occur during the one month period surrounding the Fourth of July? The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that nearly 12,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries in the United States in 2015, and about 2,000 of those were eye injuries. Fireworks can cause eye damage through chemical or thermal burns and injuries to the eyeball, resulting in permanent vision loss.
These are not benign, safe, colorful toys. They are miniaturized explosions and they have to be treated with care. These injuries are preventable. If we can reach one child or one family member and prevent a firework from going off too near their face and blinding them, that is our goal – to save at least one person’s vision. Keep yourself and your eyes safe this summer and enjoy treasured holiday traditions with these important safety tips!
Here are some tips to keep you safe this Fourth of July:
If you are attending a professional fireworks show or live in a community surrounding the shows:
- Please respect all barriers. Make sure that you stay at least 500 feet away from the fireworks launch site.
- Never touch unexploded fireworks! Instead, immediately contact your local fire or police departments for help.
- Never allow young children to play with fireworks of any type, even sparklers.
- Always wear protective eyewear when handling fireworks. Put on a pair of safety goggles that are appropriate for the job. Do not remove goggles until you are away from the fireworks area. This rule should apply whether you are responsible for prepping or launching fireworks.
- Do not try to light professional grade fireworks… leave them to the professionally trained pyrotechnicians.
How to treat a firework related eye injury
If an eye injury from fireworks occurs, remember to:
- Seek medical attention immediately.
- Do not rub your eyes.
- Do not rinse your eyes.
- Do not apply pressure.
- Do not remove any objects that are stuck in the eye.
- Do not apply ointments or take any blood-thinning pain medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen.
Protect the sparkle in your eye this 4th of July!
Make an appointment today!
