Staying Safe this Fourth of July

July Fourth brings red, white and blue decorations, hot dogs, hamburgers and everyone’s favorite bright and festive fireworks. But these festivities also bring safety concerns when it comes to injuries connected to barbeques and fireworks. So here are some tips on how to stay safe:

Fireworks

• The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to leave them to the professionals. Bring your family to a public firework display and enjoy the celebration! Have a picnic and stay socially distanced while others do the pyrotechnic work for you.
• If doing your own fireworks, remember to never light them indoors or near dry grass. Keep away from brush, leaves and flammable substances. Also, make sure to stand several feet away from lit fireworks, and if a device does not go off, do not stand over it to investigate it.
• Did you know sparklers can heat up to 1,200 degrees? That’s hot enough to melt glass! Sparks from sparklers can burn eyes and little arms and legs, so use caution or consider other ways to let children celebrate.
• Other options to allow children to participate in celebrating the Fourth of July include getting items such as party horns, glow sticks, water squirt toys or even silly string!

BBQ

• When barbequing, position the grill away from siding, deck railings, out from under leaves and overhanging branches and at a safe distance from lawn games, play areas and foot traffic.
• When cooking food, use long handled grilling tools to give plenty of distance from heat and flames and never leave your grill unattended.
• Keep children and pets away from the grill area by declaring a 3-foot, kid-free zone. You can draw a circle area with sidewalk chalk around the grill so children know not to cross it.
• Be prepared for an accident or injury. Always have a bucket of water or fire extinguisher nearby (and learn how to use a fire extinguisher).

At the end of the day, we all want to celebrate. By keeping our family and kids safe, everyone can have more fun!

About the Author

Board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, Dr. Hailey Nelson joined Valley Children’s as a complex care pediatrician at the Charlie Mitchell Children’s Center in 2016. Dr. Nelson enjoys working with children of all ages and abilities and is especially passionate about providing the best possible care to medically fragile children and their families. She is also a licensed breastfeeding consultant, certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultants to support nursing mothers and their babies.