4th of July Safety

Happy 4th of July!

The Fourth of July Holiday is filled with many fun activities, including fireworks, hiking, backyard barbecue and spending time with family and friends.  We know many of you enjoy setting off fireworks but fireworks are dangerous and can cause injuries to the eyes that may cause blindness.   Eye injuries range from a corneal abrasion to a retinal detachment to rupture of the eye. Whatever your plans, we just want you to have a safe and fun holiday.

It you are going to set off your own fireworks please review the following tips to prevent injury.  Attend a professional fireworks show is the best way to avoid injury from fireworks.   

  • View firework displays from at least 500 feet away.
  • Never let children play with fireworks, even sparklers (they can heat up to 2,000 degrees).
  • Wear eye protection, such as safety goggles, if you are handling the fireworks yourself.
  • Light only one firework at a time.
  • Do not attempt to relight or clean up exploded fireworks yourself. Alert the local fire department or the police for help.

If you get debris in your eye or you have injured your eye:

  • Call Dr. Craig’s pager immediately at 304-987-9113
  • Do not rub or rinse your eyes
  • Do not apply pressure
  • Do not remove any objects that are stuck in the eye
  • Do not apply ointments or take any blood-thinning pain medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen.

The FECC wishes you a safe and happy 4th