HAND SAFETY Fireworks Danger Stressed from Springfield July 1, 2004

Fireworks danger stressed

Thursday, July 01, 2004

By NANCY H. GONTER

ngonter@repub.com

NORTHAMPTON - Hand surgeon Jeffrey Wint isn't expecting a quiet Fourth of July weekend.
"Unfortunately, I face the prospect of being called in at any time," said Wint, who hopes to take in a parade and spend some time in his back yard during the holiday.

Wint, other medical professionals, law enforcement and fire officials yesterday held a press conference calling on area residents to "leave fireworks to the professionals." Members of the state police bomb squad exploded illegal fireworks using mannequins to show the damage they can cause.

A surgeon at the Hand Center of Western Massachusetts who works at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Wint said he has already seen hand injuries caused by fireworks this season.

In one case, a teenage boy was clenching a firecracker in his hand and it blew up before he threw it. The tip of his index finger had to be amputated. In another case, a 14-year-old boy didn't realize the cherry bomb in his hand was lit. He suffered burns to his palm, deep lacerations and several fractures.

"He has the prospect of months of therapy and rehabilitation in order to regain normal function," Wint said.

Of injuries caused by fireworks 57 percent are to the hand and upper extremities, Wint said.

Patrick C. Lee, a trauma surgeon at Baystate Medical Center, said burn injuries are tragic for children and their families.

"They are a life-changing event. Burns and their treatment are painful, leave surgical and emotional scars, and most of all they are preventable," Lee said.

State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said many people ask him why children shouldn't play with sparklers.

"I ask them if they would give their children a lighter to play with. Sparklers can burn at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, three times the temperature of a lit match, and hot sparkler fires have ignited clothing, burned bare feet, poked eyes out and started tragic holiday fires," Coan said.

Coan noted that all fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts and it is illegal to bring fireworks into the state, even though they are legal in Connecticut and New Hampshire. It is also illegal to purchase fireworks on the Internet or through catalogs and have them delivered to homes in Massachusetts, he said.

"Remember, the use of fireworks by anyone other than a licensed professional is illegal," Coan said.

The press conference featured a table loaded with fireworks in colorful packaging, much of it clearly intended to attract children. The fireworks were seized by law enforcement authorities. Coan noted children 10-14 are at the greatest risk of fireworks injuries.

Fireworks can be deadly. In December 2003, a 45-year-old Gloucester woman died when fireworks ignited her Christmas tree, starting a house fire. In May 1997, a 26-year-old Watertown man was killed when lighting fireworks in a hallway. On July 4, 1993, a 27-year-old Framingham man was killed when his backyard fireworks exploded in his face, according to the state Department of Fire Services.

MORE ON FIREWORKS

AAOS FIREWORKS PRESS RELEASE 2008

  

For more information, contact:

Lauren Pearson (847)384-4031 lpearson@aaos.org

For Immediate Release
06/27/2008

Fireworks should be Breathtaking, Not Bone-Shattering 
Orthopaedic surgeons provide safety tips for Fourth of July celebrations

Rosemont, IL

Fourth-of-July fireworks always draw a crowd but those beautiful bursts of color can lead to catastrophic injuries if not used with care. This Independence Day, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) advises Americans to enjoy the spectacular celebrations but urges adults and children to exercise extreme caution by leaving fireworks to the professionals.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:

• More than 21,000 fireworks-related injuries were treated in hospitals, doctor’s offices, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers and emergency rooms in 2007. Children under 17 accounted for approximately 11,000 of those injuries.
• The total cost for medical expenses, legal expenses, work loss, and pain and suffering due to fireworks injuries equaled more than $615 million.

“Fireworks can be used safely by trained adults, but illegal firecrackers or ones that are used improperly present substantial risks,” said Clifford Jones, MD, orthopaedic surgeon specializing trauma and member of the Academy’s Leadership Fellows Program. “If fireworks misfire or explode prematurely, the extreme force can tear or destroy bones, tissue and nerves, causing permanent damage to the body."

In an effort to reduce the number and severity of firework-related injuries treated by orthopaedic surgeons, the AAOS recommends the following safety guidelines for trained adults who choose to use fireworks:

• Check with your local police department to determine if fireworks can be discharged legally in your area. If so, determine which types are legal.
• Never buy illegal fireworks. Their quality cannot be assured.
• Only adults should light fireworks.
• Never hold lighted fireworks.
• Never allow young children to play with or go near fireworks, including sparklers. They seem harmless but sparklers can reach temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees.
• Never play with fireworks if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.