Every year 10 people in the UK lose their sight and more than 300 people suffer serious bonfire night eye injuries as a result of fireworks – and it’s not just kids at risk.   Only about half of all firework eye injuries and 12.5 per cent of serious injuries involved children, and in contrast to the 1950s and 60s, young adults now appear at greatest risk.

Despite all the warnings, the injury figures have remained so constant over the last 20 years that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (formerly the DTI) does not even produce statistics any more.

Your children are more likely than you are to get injured on fireworks night, warns Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) which is supporting the Department of Trade and Industry’s annual campaign to raise awareness of the dangers associated with fireworks night and provide safety advice.

Last year 533 children under 16 ended their firework night fun with a visit to hospital accident & emergency departments. Eighty-two of these children were under five, which represents a 70% increase in under five injuries compared with the previous year.  All in all, children account for over half of all firework casualties, suffering injuries such as burnt hands or feet, eye injuries and burns to the torso.

“Bonfire night parties and watching fireworks can be great fun for children,”  explained CAPT’s director, Carol Sherriff. “However, it should always be remembered that fireworks are explosives and bonfires are open unguarded fires. Younger children are particularly at risk. Over the past five years over 350 pre-school children have been treated for firework injuries, some of them only a year old,”

Many of the burns suffered by younger children are caused by sparklers. “Never give a sparkler to children under five,” continued Carol. “They get very hot indeed – six times the temperature that cooking oil can reach – and children’s skin is much more sensitive than adults’ so burns can be much more severe for them.”

CAPT also recommends that parents and carers avoid drinking alcohol at firework parties until children are in bed. “Supervision is an important part of keeping children safe. Even a small amount of alcohol impairs our judgment and ability to react quickly if something goes wrong,”

Rockets take first place in the danger stakes, but also flying high on the dangerous firework list is the innocent sparkler. Although sparklers are often thought to be one of the safest fireworks, they burn at temperatures up to 2000ºC – hot enough to melt gold – and are responsible for 10 per cent of firework-related eye injuries. When they have finished burning, the tip can remain hot for a minute or two and they are potentially lethal.

Iain Anderson, Chairman of The Eyecare Trust explained:

“Eye damage caused by fireworks is often severe and can lead to permanently reduced vision or even blindness, so this year the Trust is urging people to take extra care. By following the SPARKLER code you can enjoy the Guy Fawkes celebrations and protect your sight.”

Firework safety tips:

Children under five:

• Never give sparklers to under fives
• Never hold a baby or child if you have a sparkler in your hand
• Always supervise young children closely

All children:

• Supervise all children carefully and keep them well back from the bonfire and fireworks
• Show older children how to hold sparklers – away from their body and at arms length – and teach them not to wave them at other people or run while holding them
• Avoid dressing children in loose or flowing clothes that could catch alight easily, and give children gloves to wear when holding sparklers
• Sparklers can stay hot long after they’ve gone out. Once finished, plunge them hot end down into a bucket of soil or water
• Steer clear of alcohol if you’re running a display or looking after kids

In an emergency:

• Cool the burn or scald with cold water for at least 10 minutes
• Don’t touch the burn or pull away any material stuck to it
• Cover the burn with clean, non-fluffy material to prevent infection – cling film is ideal
• If clothing catches fire, get the person to stop, drop to the floor and roll them in heavy material, like a curtain
• Seek medical advice 

 If you are running your own display safety advice can be found on www.fireworksafety.co.uk or visit www.eyecaretrust.org.uk and www.capt.org.uk