|
 Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez says, “leave the
fireworks to the professionals! We want all Illinoisans to have
a safe and happy 4th of July free from fires or injuries caused
by fireworks.”
Fireworks are one of the leading causes of accidental fires and
injuries. On average, there are over 16,000 fires caused by
fireworks per year according to the National Fire Protection
Association. These fires are not only caused by
commercial/consumer fireworks, but also by unregulated novelty
fireworks that are sometimes purchased at local super markets.
Sparklers account for one-quarter of emergency room visits
related to fireworks. A sparkler can burn at a temperature of
1,200° degrees Fahrenheit. To put this into perspective, glass
melts at a temperature of 900° degrees Fahrenheit and wood burns
at a temperature of 575° degrees Fahrenheit. Never allow
children to use fireworks!
In Illinois during the 2018 seasonal reporting period of June
23rd through July 20th, there were 96 people who reported 134
injuries due to fireworks. Of those 134 injuries, 72% were males
and more than half (56%) occurred to persons over the age of 22.
Children under the age of 6 accounted for nearly 1 in 10 (9.3%)
of all injuries.
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Hands accounted for more than a third (39%) of injuries. Head/Face and legs each
accounted for 13% and 8% of injuries were reported to the eyes.
OSFM is aware of additional injuries but are not part of the statistics since
they were reported outside of the reporting period, and they weren’t reported to
OSFM by a healthcare provider.
There were 44 voluntary participating healthcare providers in 2018 compared to
60 in 2017. OSFM encourages healthcare providers to participate in reporting
this information. Reports can be submitted in paper format or by visiting:
https://www2. illinois.gov/sites/sfm/SFMDocuments/
Documents/PyrotechnicHospitalFireworks Survey.pdf
[JC Fultz, Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |
