Fireworks Safety in Spotlight After High-profile Injuries

July 09--TAMPA -- Fireworks safety -- usually a dutiful reminder every Fourth of July and New Year's Eve -- has escalated into a grim hot-button issue this week after serious injuries to two NFL players with ties to Tampa.

Officials from the National Council on Fireworks Safety and the American Pyrotechnic Association said Thursday they believe regulated consumer fireworks are safe and not being constructed in a more dangerous fashion. But they cautioned against the use of other devices -- either illegal explosives or fireworks designed for commercial use -- and said common sense must be followed.

"We're getting out more information than ever before and I think the public is generally educated about what to do and what not to do,'' said Ralph Apel, spokesman for the National Council on Fireworks Safety. "But you go on the Internet and see these YouTube videos where people push the envelope with fireworks to get some attention. They claim no one gets seriously hurt.

"That is worrisome because you have to be vigilant and knowledgeable. People can get hurt -- and people do get hurt.''

The football futures of Bucs cornerback C.J. Wilson and New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul were placed into question when both players were involved in separate Fourth of July fireworks mishaps that reportedly caused them to lose fingers after the damage.

"I would be very, very, very curious as to what type of fireworks these men were using,'' said Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnic Association. "Seeing someone lose digits ... that's alarming. And the fact that these are men, not young boys, is another concern. If they were using regulated consumer fireworks that somehow malfunctioned, well, then the public and manufacturer need to know that and be accountable.

"If they were using something more powerful, something they shouldn't be using, something that should only be in the hands of experts, it's an example of carelessness and what not to do. Hopefully, people will pay attention to this and learn from it.''

According to Wilson's high-school coach, the player was injured when a firework went off in his hand near his home in North Carolina. Wilson's father told a Charlotte, North Carolina, television station that his son lost an index and middle finger during the explosion.

Pierre-Paul, who played at the University of South Florida in 2009 before becoming the Giants' first-round draft pick and a Pro Bowl performer, was injured during a fireworks incident in Miami. ESPN reported that Pierre-Paul, who recently turned down a $60-million offer from the Giants and is currently not under contract with the team, had his right index finger amputated at a South Florida hospital.

Professional sports contracts generally have provisions that release a team's financial obligation if an athlete partakes in risky, "non-sports'' activities such as motorcycle racing or skydiving. Fireworks injuries could be included in that.

"Obviously, these are high-profile cases and a lot of people will notice when it's professional football players,'' Apel said. "I'm most disturbed by the fact that consumer fireworks aren't (generally) made to be held in the hand when lit. Without knowing all of the details, it appears they didn't read the labels or they didn't know what they were actually shooting.

"I'm hoping some good comes out of this where more people will take heed (to safety practices), including the fact that you shouldn't be drinking when dealing with fireworks. You need to have your wits about you.''

The injuries to Wilson and Pierre-Paul have received national attention, but other fireworks-related incidents also generated headlines recently. A Maine man was killed on the Fourth of July when he put a mortar, a cardboard tube with packaged fireworks inside, on his head and lit it. And a Texas man died Tuesday at a fishing spot along the Colorado River when he tried to shoot a firework off his chest.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 11 fireworks-related deaths and 10,500 injuries in 2014. There were 13 deaths and 11,400 injuries in 2013 -- a significant spike from 8,700 injuries one year earlier.

According to the commission, problems occur when people have unregulated fireworks. Consumer fireworks are packaged in bright colors and have safety warnings on the package, which stipulates the country of origin, usually normally China. Typical consumer fireworks include fountains, cones, sparklers, firecrackers, rockets and multi-tube aerial devices.

Illegal explosives are often unpackaged and wrapped in brown paper. They are unlikely to have any safety warnings or place of manufacture. Many of them are handmade in basements or illicit factories without any quality control.

"There's a black market for fireworks, too,'' Heckman said.

Professional fireworks are legal but only in the hands of a licensed, trained pyro-technician. Those devices are extremely powerful and different than consumer fireworks.

"It's hard to know what devices the football players were using and how they got them,'' Apel said. "But one of the first statements on all consumer fireworks is 'Do not use in your hands,' so what happened to them is alarming.''

In recent years, consumer fireworks were approved for 500 grams of composition -- up from 200 grams -- but Heckman said safety was never compromised if the fireworks were used properly.

"They are in secure casings and as long as the safety instructions are followed, there should not be any issues,'' Heckman said.

But as Charlene Cobb, the public information officer for Pinellas County's Sunstar Paramedics, and Jacqueline Darna, an anesthesia provider, can attest, there are persistent issues when it comes to fireworks.

"The main problem is when amateurs handle the fireworks,'' Cobb said. "The best thing is leaving it to the professionals.''

Males accounted for 74 percent of the national fireworks injuries in 2014. Thirty-five percent of the injuries were suffered by kids 15 years and younger.

Four states -- Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York -- have banned the sale and use of consumer fireworks. Florida is among 16 states that allows the use of non-aerial, non-explosive fireworks, such as novelties, fountains and sparklers.

"We have found there is too much handling of the fireworks,'' Cobb said. "When there are 'duds,' people think it won't go off, but it turns out the fuse is older and doesn't go off as quickly. It's a lot of things that can prevented, even by doing something like wearing safety goggles and safety gloves.''

Darna said she dislikes being on call during the Fourth of July weekend because the results are all too predictable.

"I think people are becoming more cavalier with firework games and are not afraid to re-approach them if they don't go off,'' Darna said. "The word 'fire' should be emphasized in fireworks. We see a majority of burn victims with their appendages and faces affected for this very reason.''

What exactly happened with Wilson and Pierre-Paul? That isn't yet known. But people in the fireworks industry, safety advocates and medical professionals can agree on one thing. Another lesson was learned.

A painful one.

jjohnston@tampatrib.com

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Twitter: @JJohnstonTBO

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