Be safe around Fireworks!

Happy summer, 2020, to those experiencing summer! In the United States, July 4th is a major public holiday. Quick Trivia: How many countries have a 4th of July?

In the United States, July 4th represents the US Independence day. It is customary to celebrate with Bar-B-Que’s, cold treats, and especially…FIREWORKS!!

Unlike firearms, fireworks today are not a constitutionally protected explosive. While they are legal in most states, the level of “power” varies widely. However, what is critical for all locations is SAFETY 🙂

Here’s an infographic from SecurityFirst Insurance of Florida. You know that if an insurance company has published this info, it is based on actual real claims (aka real events that actually happened):

Since this blog is focused on helping people and organizations Stay Safe and Secure, I thought it’d be helpful to provide a few firework safety tips. These tips are from ASSH, or the American Society for Surgery of the Hand:

• Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks. If older children are playing with fireworks, always have adult supervision.
• Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper. This is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and could be dangerous. Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.
• Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
• Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire.
• Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
• After fireworks complete their burning, douse it with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.

In addition, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, has published the following (kind of awesome) video:

It IS a holiday

So, while we like to encourage people to be safe, I would be remiss if I didn’t include a “Fail” video. Thank you to FailArmy for the clip:

#StayVigilant
#StaySafe
#LookOutForEachOther

Thanks to James Wong and Scop.IO for the featured image!