Fourth of July Fireworks

Many organizations look for opportunities to celebrate within their communities, and Independence Day is great reason for celebration. After the parades, barbecues, games and activities, Independence Day typically concludes with fireworks. While many organizations host Independence Day events, we encourage you to leave the fireworks in the hands of professionals and attend local municipal fireworks displays.

If your organization is inclined to host a fireworks display on your property, secure the services of a qualified, insured professional fireworks contractor and take appropriate steps to transfer risk to the contractor. Refer to the Utilizing Outside Contractors fact sheet on SafeChurch.com for more detail. You should also comply with all local rules, permits and fire code regulations, and discuss with your insurance agent whether your organization is covered for fireworks displays. Homemade fireworks displays are strongly discouraged.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that, on average, 280 people visit a hospital emergency room every day in the 30-day period surrounding the Fourth of July due to injuries from fireworks. The most injured body parts are hands/fingers (31%), head/face/ears (22%), torso (10%), legs (17%), eyes (14%) and arms (6%). And the most common causes of the injuries are sparklers, firecrackers and bottle rockets.

By leaving fireworks in the hands of professionals, we hope you and those served by your organization have a wonderful, safe and joy-filled Independence Day holiday.

© 2023 The GuideOne Center for Risk Management, LLC. All rights reserved.This material is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to give specific legal or risk management advice, nor are any suggested checklists or action plans intended to include or address all possible risk management exposures or solutions. You are encouraged to retain your own expert consultants and legal advisors in order to develop a risk management plan specific to your own activities.