Fireworks Safety

July 2, 2012

July 4 is just two days away, and this is the biggest time of year for fireworks. It is critical that fire and emergency department personnel, consumers, and those transporting fireworks understand the dangers and practice the utmost safety to ensure the holiday celebration doesn’t turn to tragedy. Below are some resources to help your department and your community be prepared.

NFPA – Fireworks
Every year, thousands of people are injured using consumer fireworks. This resource urges consumers to leave fireworks to the professionals and provides fireworks safety tips, facts and figures, videos, and resources for the media.

CPSC 2011 Fireworks Annual Report
This new study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission examines fireworks-related deaths, emergency department0treated injuries, and enforcement activities during 2011. It found that 65 percent of all fireworks injuries were sustained during the 30 days surrounding the July 4 holiday.

Fire Fighter Near Miss Report of the Week
This week’s Report of the Week from the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System examined an incident where a defective mortar exploded during a public firework display being managed by a local fire department.

PHMSA Resources
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration offers the following resources for transporting fireworks and hazardous materials.