MADISON (WKOW) — More than 3,000 kids under age 15 go to the emergency room each year due to fireworks, according to Safe Kids Worldwide.
Dr. Nicholas Kuehnel, a pediatric emergency medicine physician with, UW Health Kids Every July, says kids get seriously hurt every July. The pediatric emergency department at American Family Children’s Hospital sees firework-related injuries such as burns, eye injuries, loss of fingers, loss of limbs and other serious trauma.
“We want everyone to have safe and happy Fourth of July celebrations, but the bottom line is fireworks are not safe for children,” Kuehnel said. “Children should be supervised around fireworks by a responsible adult, and children should not handle fireworks even after they go out.”
To keep your kids safe around fireworks, Safe Kids Worldwide and Dr. Kuehel have these tips:
- Leave fireworks to the professionals. Attend public fireworks displays instead of lighting them at home.
- Give children glowsticks instead of sparklers. Sparklers can reach 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hotter than a blow torch.
- Make sure a responsible adult is designated to supervise children. They should know where the children are and assure they are a safe distance away from a lit firework.
- Provide ear plugs to protect a child’s hearing during fireworks shows.
- Never allow children to pick up used fireworks. They could still be hot or active.