Special to The Trussville Tribune
TRUSSVILLE — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has issued a press release about fireworks safety prior to the Independence Day weekend.
ATF is the federal law enforcement agency charged with enforcing federal explosive laws and works with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) along with state and local agencies.
Suggested safety tips when using fireworks include:
- Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
- Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities. Parents don’t realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals.
- Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
- Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
- Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
- Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire.
- Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them in metal/glass containers.
- After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.
- Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.