Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Fourth of July Fireworks Fun and Safety

Although the Fourth of July is truly meant to celebrate our country's independence with extravagant fireworks displays and great fanfare, it is also an opportunity for individuals to put on their own backyard celebrations.  Before this year, Georgians were relegated to sparklers and smaller fireworks without much bang.  New laws went into effect today allowing Georgians to purchase and play with the larger fireworks that before were only available in neighboring states.  For more information on those new laws, click here to watch this 11 Alive news segment. 

While this may mean more fun for the Fourth of July, it also means more danger for those who don't handle their fireworks safely.  After decades of working in Emergency Rooms across the country and in the Metro Atlanta area, the ER Doctors at Urgent Care at Peachtree are all too familiar with the dangers of fireworks.  Dr. Ferrara said, "We have seen burns and massive wounds and even life and limb-threatening injuries as a result of fireworks mishandling.  All of those could have been avoided with some simple precautions."

With that in mind, Urgent Care at Peachtree is sharing a great infographic here that was put together by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission about fireworks injuries and safety.

"We want everyone to appreciate, enjoy and celebrate on the Fourth of July...we just want them to do it safely," says Dr. Ferrara.  

Everyone at Urgent Care at Peachtree hopes you have a safe and happy Fourth of July!