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-