Celebrating Diwali? Here are safety tips for handling fireworks

Diwali celebrations are fast approaching in festivities synonymous with lighting fireworks.

Fireworks display is the highlight of the Festival of Lights that is expected to be celebrated on Sunday, October 27.

Tony Sahni, chief executive of Securex agencies, says the following safety measures can prevent an accident when handling fireworks:

Keep them out of children’s reach

Children may want to light the fireworks just like they would see the adults too.

There is however a risk of mishandling them with serious consequences such as burns and eye damage.

It is for this reason that they should not be allowed anywhere near the works are getting lit.

If they are to use the much safer sparklers, it should be under adult supervision since those also burn at high temperatures and may cause damage if not well handled.

Have a fire extinguisher on standby

As the name suggests, fire works may spiral from a simple lighting display to a dangerous fire.

It is therefore highly advisable to keep a fire extinguisher nearby to control the fire in the event that it happens.

Do not use fireworks indoors

Those who live in apartments or do not have yards within their homes may opt to set up in their balconies.

Considering that this is a higher point from where to light fireworks, the risk of the lights taking the wrong trajectory is high and the damage could be extensive.

Light your fireworks out in the open and keep people within a safe distance from them.

Put on protective clothing

The black powder in a firecracker that lights when ignited by a flame consists of charcoal, sulphur, and potassium nitrate, three elements that are very harmful to human beings.

It is therefore advisable to wear gloves to avoid direct contact with the black powder.

Do not reignite malfunctioned fireworks

Some of the fireworks you buy may not be up to standard.

This makes them very dangerous as they may release harmful fumes to the air.

If you light them and they fail, do not try to reignite, throw them away.

You should also buy them only from licensed and trusted distributors to avoid such situations.

Clean up all the firework material after use

There’s likely to be some debris after the crackers ignite.

These fragments may still be flammable and children who are naturally curious may want to tinker with them putting themselves at great risks.

The debris should therefore be cleaned up and fireworks soaked in a bucket of water overnight to completely put them out.

Handle them with care

Lastly, be careful not to aim the fireworks at anyone or anything and carry them in a closed container before ignition.

Do not carry them in the pocket and only light one at a time.