The Dangers Surrounding the Rockets’ Red Glare

With Independence Day came rockets glaring red and a variety of other colors. Not limited to just one day in July, the lure of fireworks is often too much for revelers young and old to resist. They honor the birth of a nation by filling the night sky with sounds akin to a warzone and vibrant explosions in what has become a longtime, annual tradition.

Fireworks usually fall into two basic categories: legal and illegal. However, a recent accident has placed a spotlight on a sub-category. No one will claim that the products are safe. Great care must be the top priority when lighting a fuse. Yet, that same care fell short in the manufacturing of specific firework products.

A little more than one week before July 4th, the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission announced a recall of fireworks after a March fireworks-related accident in nearby Ohio left a 12-year-old without a hand. The sweeping ban affected several fireworks manufacturers, targeting 18 specific products.

An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives revealed that the increased intensity of noise and the explosion itself resulted from excessive pyrotechnics, a violation of federal regulatory standards.

Manufacturers investigated and listed in the ban include Clown, Thunder Star, Universal, and Windmill. Those and other creators of these incendiaries provide public access to already dangers products. Their need, if not mandate to maintain high standards of safety is of more importance than most other product manufacturers.

One Independence Day explosive taken off the market carries the ironic product name of No Fooling Around. Good advice for those who will put fire to fuse throughout the month.