Fireworks And Eye Safety
July 4th celebrations are on the way and with them, come the risk of eye injuries.
Each year, thousands of Americans are injured using fireworks. Eye injuries from fireworks include cuts, burns, abrasions, retinal detachment, optic nerve damage, rupture of the eyeball, and complete blindness. This damage is often permanent.
Here are 5 safety tips for a safe and fun July 4th celebration.
- Never let children play with fireworks.
- View fireworks from at least 500 feet away.
- Leave the lighting of fireworks to trained professionals.
- Respect safety barriers that allow pyro-technicians to do their job safely.
- If you find unexploded fireworks, do not touch them. Immediately contact your local fire or police departments. If you do experience an eye injury resulting from a fireworks accident, seek immediate medical help
Should an eye injury from fireworks occur:
- Seek medical attention immediately.
- Do not rub your eyes.
- Do not rinse your eyes.
- Do not apply pressure.
- Do not remove any objects that are stuck in the eye.
- Do not apply ointments or take any blood-thinning pain medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen.
We hope you have a fun July 4th Celebration but we also hope you remember to keep it safe.
References: eyeSmart
