The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission(CPSC) today warned consumers that an estimated 12,900 persons, many of them children, may be injured this year in incidents associated with fireworks. Every year unsafe fireworks are involved in serious injuries, which have included burns and loss of limbs, particularly fingers. Most of these injuries occur during the July 4th holiday.
During its Seventh Annual News Conference on Fireworks Safety at the Sylvan Theater on the Mall in Washington, DC, agency officials demonstrated how some accidents happen with backyard fireworks as well as large illegal firecracker salutes. Officials set fire to clothing of baby dolls with sparklers and used watermelons and mannequins to demonstrate the hazard of large illegal firecrackers.
While some of the most disabling injuries occur with illegal firecracker salutes such as M-80's, about 60 percent of all injuries, including loss of sight, lacerations, and severe burns, are caused by backyard Class C fireworks such as bottle rockets, Roman Candles, and small aerial displays, according to CPSC Chairman Jacqueline Jones-Smith. Since 1991, three deaths resulted from tip over of multiple tube display rack devices. The third death resulted from apparent misuse of a sky rocket device.
In a joint program with the U.S. Customs, CPSC has cracked down on the importation of fireworks which do not meet the agency's standards. Since establishing the program in 1988, U.S. Customs officers working with CPSC have seized nearly 338 million units with a retail value of $34 million. Since October 1, 1992, approximately 395 shipments of fireworks have been collected for testing and 54 shipments have been seized for failure to comply with CPSC regulations. Additional seizures are expected as testing is completed.
Last year's statistics showed that about three-fourths of the fireworks-related injuries treated during the July 4th season involved fireworks which under the Federal law may be distributed for use by consumers.
To help reduce the injuries this Fourth of July season, consumers should:
-Keep children from playing with all fireworks.
-Read and heed warning labels.
-Never place your face or any other body part over a fireworks device.
-Do not consume alcohol when using fireworks.
-Do not try to relight fireworks that have not fully functioned.
-Keep a bucket of water handy in case of malfunction or fire.
-Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
CPSC is warning consumers to use fireworks safely as part of its mission to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injury and death associated with consumer products. The Commission's objective is to reduce the estimated 28.6 million injuries and 21,700 death associated each year with the 15,000 different types of consumer products under CPSC's jurisdiction.
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
For lifesaving information:
- Visit CPSC.gov.
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- Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
- Call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
- Contact a media specialist.
Please use the below phone number for all media requests.
Phone: (301) 504-7908
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