Welcome to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Podcast for June 30, 2006.

This week, CPSC held its annual fireworks press conference on the National Mall to promote the safe use of fireworks this 4th of July. Here’s CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton:

[STRATTON:] "As family and friends come together, we want every celebration to be a safe one. If fireworks are part of that celebration, we encourage the safe use of legal consumer fireworks. Enjoying commercial fireworks should be left to those who know how to work them, and that's the professionals."

More than a third of the deaths relating to fireworks between 2000 and 2005 involved consumers using professional fireworks, which are illegal. Commercial fireworks are much more powerful and often ignite faster than expected.

Last July 4th, a man was killed after lighting a 4-inch professional display mortar shell in a homemade mortar tube. It launched almost immediately and struck the man in the face as he was hunched over the tube.

Avoid buying fireworks that come in brown, paper packaging, as this can often be a sign that the fireworks were made for the professional shows and could pose a danger to consumers.

CPSC’s staff estimates there were 10,800 emergency room-treated injuries associated with all fireworks in 2005. About two-thirds of these injuries occur in the weeks before and after the 4th of July.

[STRATTON QUOTE:] “A recent report released by the CPSC found the most common injuries of legal consumer fireworks were caused by firecrackers. Other injuries were from rockets and sparklers. Sparklers account for almost half of the injuries to children younger than five years of age, but when it comes to dismemberment and death, it is the illegal fireworks, the commercial fireworks, in consumers' hands that can be blamed most often."

To reduce the chance of becoming injured with fireworks, CPSC recommends following these fireworks safety tips: Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them. Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks and have an adult closely supervise all fireworks activity. Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not fully functioned. Never point or throw fireworks at another person, and keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.

Also this week, CPSC is warning consumers about the possible dangers associated with a new type of water recreation known as “tube kiting, a relatively new form of extreme water sport.

Tube kites are very large, sometimes round, inflatable water devices that can be more than 10 feet in diameter. The tube is hooked to the back of a boat by a tow rope, and the tube rider pulls back on a rope as the boat travels at speeds between 25 and 35 miles per hour. The ride begins when the tube is lifted into the air trailing the boat. CPSC is aware of at least two deaths and 12 serious injuries associated with tube kiting this year. The injuries included a broken neck, punctured lung, broken ribs, broken femur, chest and back injuries, and facial injuries, such as jaw fractures. A 14-year-old girl who was tube kiting lost consciousness when it fell about 15 feet and struck the water.

Possible reasons for incidents and injuries include: The rider’s difficulty in controlling the tube; the boat operator inexperience, and how the tube reacts in certain weather conditions. The conditions of highest concern are wind gusts that can cause the tube to spin out of control, or sudden slowing or stopping by the boat operator, which can cause the tube to nose dive into the water. In some cases, the sudden stopping of the boat might cause the tube rider to continue past the boat and hit it or hit other boats or stationary objects, such as a bridge.

The National Park Service has banned the inflatable devices in at least one of its parks, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which includes Lake Powell, where there have been at least four serious injuries.

CPSC currently is investigating two versions of these products to determine if there is a significant product hazard. For additional information on all CPSC news, visit our Web site at www.cpsc.gov. Until next time, stay safe.

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