FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Gail H. Davis FY 98-10 Date: June 1,1998 Fireworks Safety Tips Washington--Safety tips from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). ATF regulates explosives and investigates explosives crimes. > Consider all explosives materials hazardous. This includes fireworks. Each year thousands of injuries are linked to fireworks. > Fireworks laws and ordinances vary from State to State. Get the facts from your fire department, police, or sheriff. > Legal fireworks businesses are open to local, State, and Federal inspectors. Items should be clearly marked Class-C common fireworks, list the maker, and come with instructions for safe use. > Traffickers of illegal explosive devices try to avoid police. Items they sell meet no safety standards and sometimes explode spontaneously. > Store fireworks in a cool, dry place not accessible to youngsters. Avoid rough handling. > Kids and fireworks can be a volatile mix. Adults should supervise. > Only light fireworks outdoors in a clear area away from anything that might catch fire. Keep water handy. > Light one firework at a time, then move away to a safe distance. > Douse fireworks that fizzle with water. Don’t relight. Soak leftover items and discard wet. > Avoid trouble and tragedy: - Never light fireworks in bottles, cans. - Never cut or take apart fireworks. - Never add ingredients to fireworks. Legal Fireworks Class-C common fireworks regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) are legal only when permitted by State law. Class-C fireworks produce small, visible effects and contain less than two grains of a pyrotechnic composition (7,000 grains per pound). The words "Class-C common fireworks" and the maker’s name must be visible on each package. Illegal Explosive Devices Illegal devices are not fireworks. Illegal devices are small bombs that maim, blind, and kill. Some street names for the devices are M-80, ashcan, cherry-bomb, silver salute, quarterstick, M-100 and M-1000. Traffickers sell the devices to unwary buyers. Explosive material in illegal devices exceeds the limit for common fireworks. The devices do not meet any quality standards and can explode due to heat, friction, or pressure. Some production sites discovered by ATF agents are so polluted with volatile chemicals they cannot be cleaned up and have to be burned. People trafficking in illegal devices can go to Federal prison for 10 years. Some have been tried for murder. For more information on ATF, visit the ATF Web site at www.atf.treas.gov. -end-