Emergency rooms stand ready for an uptick in severe injuries from fireworks
TROY, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - As you get ready to celebrate the Fourth of July today with that time-honored tradition of lighting fireworks, we want you to keep in mind some very important information about fireworks safety that could mean the difference between life and death.
Beaumont emergency room doctor, Jamal Adas, has been on the job for eight years and has seen a lot. He and the staff at the ER are ready for what could be an uptick in severe injuries due to the holiday.
Unfortunately, the hospital is where some people find themselves after mishandling or being careless with fireworks. However, sometimes, you could just be an innocent bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time when a firework could leave you with serious injuries.
Adas says he has seen plenty of them.
"The most common injuries would be thermal burns to the hands, neck, face and eyes. I think the most common, definitely hands and face especially. I have seen a few other more severe blast injuries, unfortunately," said Adas. "There was one case, in particular, I recall from residency and he, unfortunately, did not survive those injuries."
Adas warned about allowing small children to handle sparklers.
"I would advise against letting very young children hold sparklers. They can burn very hot, 1200 degrees Fahrenheit oftentimes, which is hot enough to melt certain metals and glass," said Adas.
We don't want to stop your fun with this information, but we do want you to be safe as you celebrate. Dr. Adas has some additional tips on how on to have a safe Fourth of July so you don't end up injured.
"Make sure that you have plenty of safe distance between any observers and fireworks themselves. You want to make sure you have a bucket of water or a hose nearby in the event of any kind of fire or burn other things," said Adas. "You never want to hold any kind of lit fireworks. If you do have any malfunctioning fireworks, please don't try and go and manipulate them or light them after the fact. Talking about the duds, so to speak. The best would be to douse those with water after a few minutes and then dispose of them properly."
And finally, alcohol and fireworks don't mix.
"If you are going to be lighting some fireworks at your home, the best practice would be to have a designated individual who can remain sober and let one person be in charge of sighting off fireworks. You certainly don't want to be having intoxicated individuals handling them."
