ST. LOUIS (KMOX) — Words of warning from local safety experts as we near the Fourth of July holiday: Fireworks may be pretty at look at -- but they're also pretty dangerous.
"The biggest concern we have right now is burns caused by fireworks that are not being professionally lit," said Lori Winkler, the injury prevention nurse coordinator at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital and local coordinator of Safe Kids St. Louis. "Also, our ophthalmologists see a lot of eye injuries during this time simply because many fireworks are projectiles that can hit a child in the eye."
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In 2017, Winkler said eight people died in the U.S. from fireworks injuries. Children under 15 accounted for 36-percent of those injuries.
Winkler says sparklers are especially dangerous.
"We need to remember especially with our little kids that their arms are too short to hold a sparkler," Winkler tells KMOX. "The temperature of a sparkler can reach up to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. So instead maybe use glow sticks or something similar that is fun and will not cause a burn."
Winkler has this simple advice.
"Leave the fireworks to the pros. They are beautiful to watch, and I know kids have fun with them but there are dangers involved."
But if you do shoot off your own fireworks, Winkler says first make sure it's legal to do so in your area. Then protect the kids. "Parents need to make sure that children are always supervised and that children are not really close to them. Make sure that the person setting off the fireworks is not wearing loose fitting clothing when handling matches or the fireworks. Never use them indoors or in a garage. And always point them away from the house, people or any type of brush." Other safety tips include making sure there is a bucket of water and fire extinguisher nearby.
"And make sure you know how to use that fire extinguisher," said Winkler. "And once the fireworks are finished, they need to douse the remains of the fireworks with that water before just dumping the containers into the trash because there could become loose cinders that could start a fire."
Winkler also says don't be fooled by thinking a firework is a dud.
"A lot of times fireworks may not detonate as soon as you expect them to. So what do you do? You go and look at them and then the firework detonates and that can cause a blast injury to the face. It can also cause respiratory burns and definitely eye injuries. So do not stand over the firework and investigate whether it is a dud or still waiting to go off."
