Many children are being left unsupervised to discharge fireworks. This exposes them to serious danger and the risk of suffering severe injuries including losing limbs. Fireworks can also be extremely distressing to animals and pets. Despite stricter laws being put in place, many fireworks dealers continue to sell them unlawfully and in violation of safety by-laws.
For one five-year-old, the thrill of lighting a firecracker and standing a few meters to watch it explode into deafening noise is just harmless fun, but unbeknown to the dangers that lurk.
Fireworks are very dangerous, especially around unsupervised children which can cause serious incidents.
Russel Meiring from the emergency medical service provider, ER24, says many serious injuries can result from fireworks, from suffering severe burn wounds to amputations.
“We have attended to numerous injuries in the past, where children, as well as adults have sustained immense trauma to their hand and face when the fireworks have gone off pre-emptively and have injured the people seriously,” says Meiring.
It is not only humans that can suffer serious injuries from the discharging of fireworks. Animals, and pets are also at increased risk. There have been cases where individuals have thrown lit fireworks at pets or fired shooters directly at them, leading to severe injuries.
“The use of fireworks is a major issue in the world of animal welfare. It causes many animals to become stressed and displaced and this includes wild animals. Countless animals across the country are brought into our shelters during this time in a state of absolute panic because they got lost and injured in the midst of the setting of fireworks,” Kesh Nair from SPCA.
During a state of panic, many animals escape from the properties they are kept on placing them at risk of being run over by vehicles or injuring themselves.
“One of the cases that we dealt with a couple of years ago was a dog that actually jumped through a window, and he injured himself quiet badly because of the glass. Obviously, it just goes to show they would do pretty much anything to get away from the bangs and the flashes because it is scary for them,” Nair added.
The Johannesburg Emergency Management Services says they will continue to conduct raids on fireworks dealers and distributors to check for compliance and ensure they store fireworks safely and securely.
Spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi has urged the public to buy fireworks from compliant dealers.
“When you walk into the shop you will see on the wall they should have a compliance certificates and over and above that, the dealer who is compliant would not just hang the fireworks on the wall. These fireworks will be stored in a glass cabinet because we do not allow these fireworks to be hung around the wall because they are highly flammable. You might have a fire incident there and the whole building will be on fire,” says Robert Mulaudzi.
He says those selling fireworks on the side of the road must also have a permit, failing which they will be arrested. To ensure that you use fireworks safely, only set off fireworks outdoors in an open area away from buildings, have a fire extinguisher or bucket of water nearby. Never attempt to relight fireworks that fail to ignite as they could still react to residual heat and may explode while you are handling them. But most importantly never allow children near fireworks.
