If you’re planning on having a bang-up time this 4th of July, cool. Just be careful you don’t bang up the bod. Here’s a brief heads-up on fireworks-related injuries:
BODY PARTS AFFECTED
– Eye: 21 percent
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– Head/face/ear: 18 percent
– Trunk: 7 percent
– Arm: 4 percent
– Hand/fingers: 32 percent
– Leg: 19 percent
Top reasons for injuries
– From firecrackers: Injuries typically come from holding the device or trying to release it after ignition.
– From rockets: Erratic flight patterns or burning debris cause injuries (mainly hand and eye).
– From sparklers: Can burn hands or send sparks flying into the eyes.
TOP INJURIES
– Burns: 63 percent
– Bruises and cuts: 21 percent
BITS AND PIECES
– Among different fireworks, sparklers accounted for the most injuries. They accounted for half the injuries to children under 5.
– Three times as many males were injured as females.
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2002 figures, released last week; numbers rounded up