4th of July is always reason to celebrate. Even this year with social distancing in place, families will still find ways to enjoy the day. There are many ways to get outside and have fun. We’ve compiled a list of activities that can turn fun into an unintended mishap which can mean a visit to the emergency room.
What is your favorite thing to do to celebrate July 4th? Here is a list of the top 5 activities that can go from good to bad quickly and what to watch out for.
Fireworks – Don’t Let Children Play with Fireworks
There’s no big surprise here that fireworks rank first in accidents associated with July 4th.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were an estimated 9,100 fireworks-related injuries treated in U.S. emergency rooms in 2018; and of these, about 5,600 occurred in the one-month period around July Fourth (from June 22 to July 22). That’s about 190 injuries per day around July Fourth.
Firecrackers were the number one cause of fireworks-related accidents, accounting for nearly 20% of injuries. And sparklers were a major cause of injuries for young children, accounting for more than half of total injuries among those under age five. (CPSC 2019)
Car Crashes
The Fourth of July is America’s favorite summer holiday. However, the sheer amount of car crashes that occur on around of July Fourth make it the deadliest holiday of the year. The National Safety Council (NSC) is estimating that 164 people may be killed on the road in July 4th car crashes this year, mostly due to impaired driving. (Chadra 2018)
Outdoor Grilling
About 16,600 people go to an emergency room each year because of an accident tied to grilling, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. About half of those injuries are thermal burns, caused by fire or contact with something ultra-hot. Of the contact injuries, a third are to children younger than 5, hurt when they bump, touch, or fall on some part of the grill or hot coals. Each year, fire departments respond to an average of 9,600 fires related to home grilling, reports the National Fire Protection Association. (NFPA 2018)
Boating
The July 4th holiday, along with Memorial Day and Labor Day, typically account for more than one third of all boating related accidents and fatalities. Statistics consistently show that 80 percent of those who perished in boating accidents were not wearing life jackets.
The Safe Boating Campaign says the three most important things to remember when boating:
- Always wear a life jacket
- Never boat under the influence
- Use an engine cut-off device
(Safe Boating 2019)
The US Coast Guard Boating Safety reports the highest number of boating accidents happen in July. Responsible boating is happy, safe boating!
Swimming
Naturally, the extreme heat around July 4th brings about plenty of pool parties, beach trips, or swimming in some other body of water, and each year, news outlets are brimming with Fourth of July drowning deaths. The CPSC says that drowning incidents reported involving children under the age of 15 during the holiday week increase dramatically.
The CPSC’s “Pool Safety” campaign urges families to follow a few simple steps to avoid tragedy over the holiday:
- Never leave a child unattended in a body of water
- Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim
- Learn CPR
- Have appropriate equipment for your pool or spa, including lifesaving equipment such as life rings, floats, or a reaching pole
(Medical Bag 2019)
Enjoy Your Holiday!
This article was composed to tell you to let go, have fun, swim, barbecue, watch fireworks! We really don’t want to see you in the ER. It’s just a gentle reminder to be safe; especially, when children are involved. They depend on us to keep them safe and if we just think before we do something that can result in accident or injury, we’ll all have a wonderful July 4th.
In case you do need us, we are here – open 24/7, 365 days to make sure your family has a place to go for medical emergencies no matter what happens. Our facility is beautiful, clean and has virtually no wait. Nothing matters more to us than the safety and health of you, your family and your loved ones.
Works Cited
“CPSC Reminds Consumers to Celebrate with Safety This Fourth of July Season.” U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 26 June 2019, www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2019/CPSC-Reminds-Consumers-to-Celebrate-with-Safety-This-Fourth-of-July-Season.
Chadra, Karen. “Make Safety a Priority This 4th of July.” National Safety Council, 2 July 2018, www.nsc.org/driveithome/dih-blog/make-safety-a-priority-this-4th-of-july.
“Grilling.” NFPA, 2018, www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Seasonal-fire-causes/Grilling.
“News.” Safe Boating Campaign, 2019, safeboatingcampaign.com/news/important-boating-safety-reminders-for-fourth-of-july-high-boating-traffic/.
“Fourth of July Injuries.” Medical Bag, 14 Jan. 2019, www.medicalbag.com/home/features/grey-matter/fourth-of-july-injuries/.
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