Aside from the excitement and fun associated with throwing fireworks, people do happen to get injured sometimes. Now, since firework injuries are probably not one of the most common everyday injuries, only a few people tend to know exactly what to do when it happens.
According to reports, however, there are now increasingly more firework injuries than there used to be. This is why it has now become important for almost everybody to have an idea of what they’re supposed to do when a night of fireworks turns ugly.
If you have a firework injury case on your hands, here are a few recommended ways to manage and take care of it.
Common firework injuries and how to manage them
Although you might need to get an injured person to a medical facility for proper treatments, there are the immediate actions that you can take once the incident has occurred. Usually, firework injuries range from minor to severe skin burns, eye injuries, etcetera.
The following are some useful recommendations for managing different firework injuries:
Minor and severe burns
When the injuries are cases of heat or fire burn, the first thing to do is place the burnt hand or leg under running cold water. The purpose of this is to cool down the affected area. When doing this, you should leave the hand or leg under the tap, for a minimum of ten minutes. Severe or bigger skin burns may require cooling using a water hose or a bath shower.
Once the affected area is cooled off, you may then apply cling film to the surface. As much as possible, try not to touch the burn area while the first aids are ongoing. Also, don’t make use of lotions or any ointment and cream. If the burns are bigger, you may also need to calm the victim, as it’s not unlikely that they may sometimes show signs of shock.
Fireworks injuries to the eye
Fireworks may also cause injury to the eyes. If you discover that particles or debris from the fireworks have entered the eye, make sure your hands are well cleaned before attending to the victim. Check their eyes to see the extent of injury caused. If you can see the moving particles or debris, then you may flush it out with plenty of eyewash. If not, ask the injury victim to keep their eyes closed, until an expert arrives.
Before administering medical aids to a victim of burn injury, always remember to call for expert medical attention. If the injuries are severe and you’re alone with the victim, you may try to keep them as calm as possible, before making the call.
