Hackensack Meridian Health Urges Fireworks Safety to Reduce Injuries at July 4th Celebrations

Fireworks caused more than 11,000 injuries in the U.S. in 2016, authorities report

Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive health network, is reminding the public to take precautions to avoid fireworks accidents that can be life-altering.

Fireworks caused over 11,000 injuries in 2016, most commonly damaging hands and fingers. Fireworks injuries can be particularly difficult to treat because they involve both burns and blast injuries, which damage tissues from the skin through the bone and can even cause partial or complete hand amputation.

Sparklers, which many consider safe, burn at greater than 1,000 degrees F and can quickly cause serious injury. Injuries to the hand may include disfigurement and permanent disability, affecting jobs and life satisfaction.

The American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) wants the public to understand:

All fireworks are inherently dangerous.

Fireworks use should be limited to professional display; explosive materials should only be handled by professionals.

Fireworks injuries to the hand can be devastating and have large personal and economic costs.

The National Council on Fireworks Safety advises:

Know your fireworks; read the cautionary labels and performance descriptions before igniting.

A responsible adult SHOULD supervise all firework activities. Never give fireworks to children.

Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Save your alcohol for after the show.

Wear safety glasses when shooting fireworks.

Light one firework at a time and then quickly move away.

Use fireworks OUTDOORS in a clear area; away from buildings and vehicles.

Never relight a “dud” firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.

Always have a bucket of water and charged water hose nearby.

Never carry fireworks in your POCKET or shoot them into METAL or GLASS containers.

Do not experiment with homemade fireworks.

Dispose of spent fireworks by wetting them down and place in a metal trash can away from any building or combustible materials until the next day.

Don’t bring your pets to a fireworks display, even a small one.

For more tips on how to enjoy the holiday safety, please review this: ASSH’s full position statement

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH

Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 16 hospitals from Bergen to Ocean counties, which includes three academic medical centers – Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, JFK Medical Center in Edison; two children’s hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in Neptune; 11 community hospitals - Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Shore Rehabilitation Institute in Brick.

Additionally, the network has more than 180 patient care locations throughout the state which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, and urgent care and after-hours centers. Hackensack Meridian Health has 33,000 team members, and 6,500 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The Network's notable distinctions include having one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, four hospitals among the top 10 in New Jersey, including Hackensack University Medical Center which is ranked No. 1 by U.S. News and World Report. Other honors include consistently achieving Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For," one of the "20 Best Workplaces in Health Care" in the nation, and the number one "Best Place to Work for Women." Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.

For additional information, please visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.org.