Families love to celebrate the Fourth of July by cooking out, swimming, and watching fireworks light the sky. Celebrating outside can be lots of fun, but if parents aren’t diligent about safety, common Independence Day activities can cause serious injuries to children, especially activities that involve firecrackers, water, and sun exposure.
Fireworks Safety for the Fourth of July
Fireworks are a staple of Independence Day, but firecrackers are dangerous. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 9,800 people were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries in 2007. Four out of every 10 of these fireworks injuries were to children under the age of 15. The most common places firecracker injuries occur are to the eyes, hands, head, and face.
Even seemingly harmless sparklers can reach more than 1000º F – hot enough to cause serious burns to children. The best way to prevent these injuries is to let the experts handle the firecrackers while children watch from a safe distance. But for families who insist on popping their own fireworks this Independence Day, keep the kiddos safe with these tips:
- Never allow children to handle firecrackers.
- Keep a container of water close by to pour on firecrackers that malfunction.
- Never try to relight malfunctioning firecrackers.
- Pop firecrackers in a clear, open, outdoor space.
- Keep kids out of the range of firecrackers.
- Never ignite bunches of firecrackers at one time.
- Don’t ignite fireworks in containers.
Sun Safety for Independence Day
Overexposure to the sun can increase kids’ risks of skin cancer, glaucoma, and cataracts during adulthood. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, people get most of their sun exposure before the age of 18, so sun protection during childhood is vital. Here are some tips to protect young children from too much sun on the Fourth of July:
- Dress kids in light colored, long sleeve shirts and pants.
- Apply a kid-formulated sunblock with an SPF of 15 or higher to exposed areas of the skin.
- Keep infants under six months out of direct sunlight.
- Keep kids out of the sun between 10am and 3pm when the sun’s rays are the most damaging.
- Cover each child’s head with a wide brimmed hat to protect the head and neck from the sun.
- Provide kids with wraparound sunglasses that block at least 99 percent of the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
Fourth of July Swimming Pool Safety for Kids
It doesn’t take long for a child to disappear underwater and drown. Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death in young kids. Children who are fortunate enough to survive being submerged underwater can suffer irreversible neurological damage. So in addition to requiring youngsters to wear life vests in the water, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission offers these tips to keep kids safe in the swimming pool:
- If a child is missing, look in the pool first.
- Don’t use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.
- Keep rescue equipment and a telephone near the pool.
- Learn CPR.
- Install a self-closing, self-latching fence around the pool. Gates should be at least four-feet high.
- Use alarms on doors that lead to the pool.
- Use a motor-powered barrier over the water to prevent access by young children.
- Remove steps and ladders on above ground swimming pools when they are not in use.
When parents are diligent about sun, swimming pool, and firework safety, kids can showcase their patriotism without the risk of injury when celebrating Independence Day.
Charlina Stewart - Charlina has dedicated more than a decade of her life making a positive difference in the lives of children. During her time as an early ...
