The Fourth of July makes for great neighborhood celebrations and lots of family fun, but it is also, unfortunately, peak time for eye injuries. Please be careful! Fireworks (bottle rockets, sparklers and roman candles count, too) account for thousands of eye injuries each year. We urge you and your loved ones to leave the fireworks displays to the professionals. Let’s patriotically celebrate independence and our vision!
The American Academy of Ophthalmologists urges observance of the following tips:
– Never let children play with fireworks of any type.
– View fireworks from a safe distance: at least 500 feet away, or up to a quarter of a mile, for best viewing
– Respect safety barriers set up to allow pyrotechnicians to do their jobs safely.
– Leave the lighting of fireworks to trained professionals.
– Follow directive given by event ushers or public safety personnel.
– If you find unexploded fireworks remains, do not touch them. Immediately contact your local fire or police departments.
– If you get an eye injury from fireworks, seek medical help immediately.
We encourage you to take a look at the full article.
