Pyrotechnic Injuries: Two Thirds Are Under 24 Years Old

Around 200 to 400 people need to be treated in hospitals annually. About two-thirds of the injured are children, teenagers, and young adults up to 24 years old, reported the Austrian Road Safety Board (KFV) in a press release on Friday. There are also fatalities from fireworks accidents from time to time.

Experts are calling for caution and particularly advise against the use of illegal items and those that do not meet the testing standards (BAM & CE). Deep cuts and lacerations, (partial) amputations of fingers, blast trauma in the ear, wounds in the eye area, as well as open fractures and burns on hands and face: These are among the injuries reported by those affected by pyrotechnic accidents. With around 78 percent of accidents, the most common injuries affect the hand area.

Teenagers between 15 and 24 years old represent the largest group of those injured by firecracker accidents: They account for 51 percent of the accidents. If you add the affected children from zero to 14 years old (15 percent), it shows that around 66 percent of those who need medical help in the hospital due to a pyrotechnic accident are children, teenagers, and young adults. Thus, about two-thirds of those affected belong to the age group of zero to 24 years.

Children Have Early Access to Pyrotechnics

"This means that children and teenagers are alarmingly early in contact with pyrotechnics and have access to pyrotechnics to which they often should not have access. We need to raise awareness of the dangers and remind both retailers and guardians of their duty of care," demanded Christian Schimanofsky, KFV Director. Pyrotechnics are often procured from abroad. Media reports on accidents involving children and teenagers in recent weeks show that illegal items were also involved, according to the KFV: From the banned flash powder to pyrotechnics of categories F3 and F4 (professional fireworks like strong rockets or fireworks bombs, note), the teenagers should not have had access to these fireworks items. It is also noticeable: Nine out of ten people injured by pyrotechnics are male (92 percent), according to the KFV. From the age of twelve, only fireworks of category F1, such as smoke and flash balls, snap bangs, or sparklers, may be used.

In addition to improper and reckless use, illegally acquired pyrotechnic items from abroad and homemade devices are considered particularly common causes of severe or even fatal injuries. According to a survey, 14 percent have bought fireworks abroad - online or on-site - in the past; overall, even 25 percent plan to purchase abroad. This is shown by a recent survey by the Institute for Empirical Social Research. Cheaper prices and stronger products are particularly often cited as motives. Fireworks should not be purchased online under any circumstances. The shipment of pyrotechnics to private individuals is dangerous and prohibited in Austria.

"Homemade" Particularly Dangerous

Particularly dangerous are also fireworks of the "homemade" variety. According to a recent KFV study, however, seven percent of respondents have already made them themselves - it did not always end well. "The personal manufacturing, dismantling, or manipulation of pyrotechnic items is strictly prohibited for good reason," said Schimanofsky.

Enormous safety deficits in the use of pyrotechnics also contribute to accidents: Around 80 percent of respondents mistakenly believe that F2 fireworks - such as firecrackers, rockets, or volcanoes - are allowed everywhere in urban areas, according to the latest KFV study. In Austria, there is a year-round ban on F2 fireworks within urban areas, but municipalities can allow exceptions on New Year's Eve. 30 percent are convinced that pyrotechnics of category F3 and F4 would also be permissible without a permit in populated urban areas as a private person. There is an urgent need for clarification when it comes to lighting: Around 93 percent light rockets unsafely, for example in champagne bottles or on the ground. Lighting under the influence of alcohol also represents one of the central risks here. And children are often involved: Around 55 percent of surveyed households with children admitted that children are present when lighting; in 17 percent of these cases, they are even in the immediate danger zone of less than five meters.

Causes of accidents also include holding fireworks for too long or defective and delayed-exploding pyrotechnics, which are either picked up from the ground or fall over and point in the wrong direction or are disposed of incorrectly. "Used fireworks must be disposed of in residual waste to support municipalities and relieve the environment," appealed pyrotechnics trade representative Thomas Köchl to consumers.

More on New Year's Eve

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.