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A BOOM in SAFETY
Phantom Fireworks focuses on simplifying products for success
By Karl Henkel
YOUNGSTOWN
Americans blow up more than 200 million pounds of fireworks each year, a twofold increase from a decade ago.
The reasons: the economy and the quality improvement of fireworks.
During that time, there’s been a decrease in the number of fireworks-related injuries.
Julie J. Heckman, executive director at the American Pyrotechnics Association, said two reasons for the decrease have to do with how fireworks today are manufactured and how different states and municipalities control their use.
“The quality of the products has improved dramatically since the late 1990s, which contributes to the safety of the products,” she said.
The American Pyrotechnics Association reported the popularity of fireworks is sky-high.
Bruce Zoldan, president and CEO of Phantom Fireworks, a Youngstown-based B.J. Alan Co. subsidiary, said part of the success of his company has been simplifying fireworks in order to promote safer use.
“The survival of our industry, the ability that I had to watch this business grow is based on safety,” he said.
Overall, fireworks accounted for .02 percent of all injuries in 2008, according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Christmas lights, hair dryers and curling irons, cigarettes and lighters, barbecue grills, space heaters, ranges and ovens regularly account for at least twice as many injuries.
Firework-related injuries may be on the decline, but they’re still a problem.
In 2009, more than 8,800 firework-related injuries that resulted in a hospital visit occurred, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Nearly three in four injuries were suffered by males and 40 percent of injuries were suffered by children.
Though still a high number, the number of injuries has decreased significantly in the last two decades.
In 1994, 12,500 people were hospitalized as a result of a fireworks injury, a 20-year high.
With more municipalities in financial distress and choosing to forgo fireworks shows, as Akron did last year, more individuals are handling fireworks. So why has the rate of injuries decreased?
“We’ve gotten rid of items that used to be well-known when I was young — M-80s, cherry bombs, silver salute,” Zoldan said. “Not seeing those types of items on the shelves, not having them available to people and providing new types of fireworks ... so someone can use it by following the directions.”
Ohio remains one of 10 states that has fireworks restrictions, something local lawmakers, including Rep. Bob Hagan of Youngstown, D-60th, and Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Canfield, D-33rd, have said in the past needs to change.
Heckman said legalizing fireworks could have a positive effect on firework-related injuries.
“When fireworks are legal, there’s a concerted effort to put out a safety message to use them responsibly,” she said. “When the firework activity is illegal, the injury rate tends to go up.”
But for now, it’s only legal to purchase and discharge small fireworks, which include items that smoke, sparkle, snap and snake, according to the Division of State Fire Marshal.
Larger fireworks, such as popular multishot cake items, which shoot 12, 50 or 100 fireworks using a single match, are legal to buy for those age 18 and older, but illegal to discharge.
State law requires that unlicensed individuals take those fireworks outside the state.
It’s a first-degree misdemeanor for those who possess fireworks in the state for more than 48 hours and first-time offenders can face a $1,000 fine and up to six months in prison.
Those interested in becoming a licensed fireworks exhibitor can do so through the State Fire Marshal. Exhibitors must go through six hours of training on fireworks laws and safety every three years.
Phantom Fireworks provides customers with safety precautions in each fireworks package sold, one reason being the uncontrolled nature of fireworks enforcement statewide, and also provides an interactive “Fireworks University” class on its website, www.fireworks.com.
“We as a company have seen the enjoyment of families celebrating the Fourth of July,” Zoldan told The Vindicator on Thursday. “What we’ve created is actually competition between neighbors. We help people become competitive with one another to have a safe, backyard fireworks show.”