The New Straits Times, January 31, 1997
Q: I have come a cross many news reports of injuries caused by fireworks. Can you highlight the precautions and the health hazards of fireworks.
A: As the festive season draws near, news about children losing fingers due to playing with fireworks becomes a frequent item in the media. This happens year in and year out despite numerous warnings from the relevant authorities.
Just last week a boy died while his friend was hospitalised and badly injured.
Poison control would like to review some aspects of fireworks so that we can fully understand the hazards involved each time they are ignited, and take the appropriate precautions. This is because the handling of fireworks is never entirely safe.
Homemade fireworks are often more dangerous. Those who make their own fireworks often underestimated the hazardous nature of the chemical substances involved.
They tend to combine the chemicals taken from various other devices in the excitement to create bigger and better explosion. They often do not realise that even with the greatest care, accidents can occur, what more if the principles that govern the operation of the various devices and the composition of the chemicals used are never understood.
Moreover, they are always not well protected should any of their efforts back-fire. Thus, 'inventing' one's own fireworks must be avoided at all cost.
In several instances, serious injuries are sustained due to unbridled curiosity. This could rang from losing their fingers or being struck blind, or even being poisoned from ingesting or inhaling some of the toxic substances used or produced by the fireworks.
Apart from these, houses and properties could be burned as a result of flames and sparks thrown out by the fireworks.
The substances normally used in fireworks include potassium nitrate, strontium nitrate, copper oxide, barium chlorate, potassium perchlorate, sulphur, arsenic aluminium powder as well as carbon-based mixtures. Some are more commonly used in the various types of fireworks.
The different mixtures of chemicals make up the different type of sparklers. For example, 'gold' sparklers may contain barium and nitrate compounds, chalk, dextrin and aluminium among others. The green sparklers contain barium and nitrate
. compounds plus potassium perchlorate, dextrin and aluminium powders, While red sparklers contain stronrium compounds, nitrate and potassium perchlorate, dextrin and aluminium powder.
The purposes of these different chemicals are to provide enough oxygen and carbon in order to give the various effects of the particular device. For example, the combination of sound, burst, mixtures of colours and so on.
These chemicals are highly inflammable and any slight exposure to heat could set off the pyrotechnic reactions without any warning. This includes keeping the fireworks in an unsuitable storage place or are, namely close to heat of flame or otherwise in a very hot condition.
Thus, when tempting to concoct one's own formula for homemade fireworks, the risk is always that one would introduce sufficient heat (for example, through friction) that might intentionally ignite the chemicals.
Banging repeatedly and directly on the chemicals could cause an explosion. So is the act of compacting the chemicals into any sort of 'container' such that it creates enough friction to set the chemicals aflame. Otherwise there can be an unexpected burst of flame when two or more incompatible chemicals are randomly mixed especially without the proper understanding of the science and art of making fireworks. In other instances, the fireworks may seem slow to react and will burst just as one is about to find out what is actually happening.
In all these instances, the reactions of the fireworks (especially those self-manipulated ones) become unpredictable, and the affair becomes enormously risky and dangerous.
The bottomline, therefore, is too keep away from toying with fireworks. If you must, make sure that you have taken all the necessary precautions, including careful handling of the potentially hazardous substances even in its original packing.
When playing with fireworks, do not throw or hang fireworks in places that can easily catch fire, or in places that are impossible to extinguish or remove them when necessary.
At all times, never touch or approach fireworks once they have been ignited. By the same token, never leave such fireworks unattended without first of all extinguishing them, for example, by pouring water on them from a distance.
Never try to smother them with your bare hands or feet, or even flamable footwear. Left unattended, the same fireworks may be a hazard to other unsuspecting people, especially children.
Store all unused fireworks properly in a cool dry place, isolated from food stuff, away from inflammable items and out of reach of children. Do not buy fireworks that are badly made, or poorly stored or improperly packed. Chances are you expose yourself and those around you to greater risks.
