Fireworks Safety

While consumer fireworks are legal in Georgia, the National Fire Protection Association takes a hard stance against them. According to the NFPA, the only safe way to view fireworks is by attending a professional show, and fireworks are simply not safe in the hands of consumers. Thousands of fireworks related burn injuries are treated in U.S. emergency rooms every year in July alone, and children suffer the highest rate of these injuries. To illustrate the danger, most don't realize that even sparklers, which may seem harmless, burn at over 1,200 degrees F!

However if you choose to participate in the legal use of consumer fireworks, please follow these safety tips provided by the National Safety Council:

• Never allow children to handle fireworks
• Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
• Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
• Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
• Never light them indoors
• Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person
• Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
• Never ignite devices in a container
• Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
• Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
• Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don't go off or in case of fire
• Never use illegal fireworks

For more information on fireworks safety, click here or here.