NORWALK, CT – Safety experts suggest that you might want to think twice before spending a lot of money for Independence Day fireworks.
Analyzing data from the American Pyrotechnics Association, researchers at firecashbuyer.com are braced for new reports of fireworks injuries in 2024, after seeing a record number of injuries last year.
Those injuries caused by fireworks, which are especially common among children in the 5- to 18-year-old age group, account for nearly 70 percent of annual injuries of children.
Fireworks of all kinds are a boom industry in America, according to the APA.
In 2000, the pyrotechnic industry sold a record more than 150 million pounds of fireworks, rockets, sparklers and other devices to American consumers, but sales didn’t stop at that peak level.
By 2022, sales of fireworks had grown to more than 460 million pounds nationally.
In 2023, fireworks sales dropped to about 273.6 million pounds, but don’t cry too many tears for the pyrotechnic industry. Despite that significant drop in consumption, profits kept right on growing.
In the Class C market, revenue from firework sales jumped from $407 million in 2000 to $2.2 billion by 2023.
Class C fireworks include igniters, fuses and “common” fireworks. They are considered low explosives and suitable for private use, being generally smaller than more powerful Class B fireworks, which are used in commercial and public displays.
The sale of those so-called “display fireworks” increased from $203 million in 2000 to $500 million in 2023.
Unfortunately, the number of fireworks injuries have also continued to grow.
About 40 years ago, the researchers at firecashbuyer.com report that the injury rate due to fireworks accidents was 38.3 injuries per 100,000 pounds of fireworks sold.
By 2022, that rate had declined to just 2.2 injuries per 100,000 pounds of fireworks sold. The analysts attribute much of that decline to improved safety guidelines, including using legal fireworks, maintaining safe distance and using proper disposal techniques.
In 2023, however, the injury rate jumped by about 60 percent, to 3.6 injuries per 100,000 pounds sold.
To counter that trend, the firecashbuyer.com study recommends better enforcement of safety regulations, increased public awareness of the dangers of fireworks and the sale of safer pyrotechnics.
The researchers there also recommend several tips that families can practice to improve fireworks safety while celebrating the 4th of July.
The first of those suggestions is to reserve fireworks for adults, while keeping children at a safe distance.
Another is to light fireworks only in spacious outdoor areas, far from homes and combustible materials.
If a firework doesn’t go off, they recommend not trying to relight it. A safer course of action is douse and drench the suspect firework with a hose or a bucket of water before trying to dispose of it.
Finally, they suggest that families save the drinks for after the show, by never mixing alcohol or drugs with fireworks.