The 4th of July is a fun time to celebrate! You can have friends and family over, spend time outside, eat fun food, drink fun drinks, and shoot off fireworks. Four Corners Health Department wants to remind you that you can have fun and be safe at the same time.
Stay hydrated! Drink plenty of water. Take regular breaks from the sun. Cover your skin. Wear a hat. Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher at least 30 minutes before going outdoors. Reapply every 2 hours. To learn more about sun safety and heat related illness, go to https://www.heat.gov/.
When serving food outdoors, be sure your food stays safe. Keep cold food cold and hot food hot. Keep coolers closed and limit how many times they are opened. Be sure hands and utensils are clean when working with food. More information can be found here: https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/handling-food-safely-while-eating-outdoors
According to the National Safety Council, there were over 12,000 people hurt badly enough to need medical treatment due to firework related injuries in 2017. Approximately 50% of these were people under the age of 20.
- Never allow young children to handle fireworks. Older children should use them only with an adult close.
- Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol.
- Know your fireworks. Read the labels.
- Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear. There may be loud sounds, so it’s best to wear ear protection.
- Do not wear loose clothing.
- Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands.
- Do not carry fireworks in your pocket, backpack, or purse.
- Never ignite devices in a container. Never light them indoors.
- Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material.
- Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
- Only light one at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting.
- If you are watching others shoot fireworks, make sure you are far enough away so that you are not hit by parts of hot or shooting fireworks.
- Have water nearby. Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose close. Soak both used and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before disposal.
- Never relight or pick up a “dud” firework. Wait 20 minutes; then soak it in a bucket of water.
- Never use illegal fireworks. Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying our using them. Do not use homemade fireworks.
To learn more about firework safety, go to https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/tools-resources/seasonal-safety/summer/fireworks.
To learn more about fireworks in Nebraska, go to https://www.safenebraska.org/safe-home-play/fireworks-safety.
Contact Four Corners at 402-362-2621 or 877-337-3573 or email at info@fourcorners.ne.gov. You can follow us on Facebook at Four Corners Health Department. Find @FC_HealthDept on Twitter and Instagram!