State Health Officials Provide Fireworks Safety Tips to
Prevent Injuries
June 28, 2007, DENVER - State
health officials Thursday provided safety tips for
individuals who plan to light fireworks this Fourth of July.
Although colorful and exciting to watch, fireworks can be
extremely dangerous if improperly handled. They can cause
serious burns and eye injuries, including blindness or loss
of limbs and property damage due to fires.
Therese Pilonetti, a program manager with the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment’s Consumer
Protection Division, said, “It is not uncommon to hear of
someone’s roof catching fire, or trees and bushes around the
house being ignited because someone improperly handled
fireworks.”
Pilonetti recommended that families attend one of the
many professional fireworks displays being held in the
Denver metropolitan area and throughout the state instead of
having their own displays. However, individuals who do plan
to purchase and ignite legal, permissible fireworks were
advised to take the following precautions:
- Read and follow all warnings and instructions on
fireworks labels.
- Discuss the safe handling of fireworks with children
several times before the holiday.
- Supervise older children constantly while they are
using fireworks.
- Never allow young children to set off fireworks.
Young children will often become very excited around
fireworks causing them to mishandle or drop the
fireworks.
- Purchase only those fireworks that are legal to
light in the area and that are in sound condition.
Inspect fireworks for signs of powder leaking, age or
moisture exposure.
- Check with your local police or fire department to
determine local fireworks ordinances and permissible
uses of consumer fireworks.
- Never ignite fireworks in glass or metal containers.
Flying glass and metal can cause serious injuries to
onlookers.
- Make certain other people are out of range before
lighting fireworks, and never point them or throw them
at another person.
- Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away
from houses, dry leaves and flammable materials.
- Never try to relight fireworks that have not fully
functioned.
- Keep a bucket of water handy in case of a
malfunction or fire.
Pilonetti said that even though state law prohibits the
purchase or sale of illegal fireworks, fire inspectors have
been able in past years to confiscate these fireworks being
sold at locations throughout Colorado.
The most common illegal fireworks sold in the state are
pop bottle rockets and firecrackers.
Banned Fireworks
In Colorado, Bailey explained, many fireworks are illegal
including those that emit projectiles or fly into the air
and those with a loud bang. Banned fireworks include such
things as:
- pop bottle rockets
- firecrackers
- cherry bombs
- roman candles
- M-80 salutes
- large reloadable shells
- aerial bombs
- mail order kits designed to make these fireworks
(homemade fireworks are extremely dangerous and should
never be used)
LEGAL FIREWORKS
Legal fireworks include non-explosive fireworks that are
not intended to leave the ground.
They include:
- sparklers
- fountains
- ground spinners
- novelties, such as party poppers
For more information, the public may call Pilonetti at
(303) 692-3642. |
