WVU occupational therapist advises leaving holiday fireworks to professionals

While fireworks on the Fourth of July are as American as apple pie, a West Virginia University expert in occupational therapy is providing tips to keep celebrations safe.

Thousands of people are injured using consumer fireworks during the holiday each year, according to B. Seth Powers, assistant professor at the WVU School of Medicine and a certified hand therapist, who noted many injuries involve hands and fingers.

Quotes:

“Teens aged 15-19 have the highest rate of ER visits related to firework injuries, while children aged 5-9 have the second highest rate.

“If people sustain a fireworks injury, they should go to an urgent care facility or emergency room to be assessed for the severity of the injury. Even if the injury only results in burns, these can be very severe and lead to infections or significant scarring that can limit the movement of the hand. 

“In hand therapy, we see an increase in fireworks injuries around the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve. These injuries range from hand and finger burns to individuals with more significant injuries, such as multiple fractures or fingers amputated because a firework detonated in their hand.

“Hand injuries often result in decreased function and difficulty completing daily tasks. Depending on the severity of the injury, individuals may require a lengthy rehabilitation period before they can resume their activities of daily living or return to work.

“To avoid injuries with fireworks, consider the following:

• Never allow children to play with or handle fireworks.
• Never relight or pick up fireworks that have malfunctioned.
• Never hold fireworks in your hand or place any part of your body directly over a firework when lighting the fuse.
• Keep a safe distance from fireworks when viewing.
• Have a bucket of water or a hose nearby in case of a fire, and saturate used fireworks with water before discarding them in the trash.
• Never point or throw fireworks at anyone.

“I encourage people to attend local fireworks shows where professionals are handling the fireworks.”— B. Seth Powers, assistant professor, Master of Occupational Therapy program, WVU School of Medicine

West Virginia University experts can provide commentary, insights and opinions on various news topics. Search for an expert by name, title, area of expertise or college/school/department in the Experts Database at WVUToday.

-WVU-

ak/6/30/25

MEDIA CONTACT: Allyson Kennedy
Communications Specialist
WVU School of Medicine
Allyson.Kennedy1@wvumedicine.org

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