Bursting of crackers by children under direct parental supervision will help in reduction of fire related accidents during Deepavali.
District Officer-Fire and Rescue Services S. Kalyanakumar said firemen and officials in the department had been put on alert to meet any eventuality arising out of fire accidents. Stating that children tend to mishandle crackers, he said bursting of crackers while holding them in the hand was the most dangerous of all. “The possibility of children getting injured during such an act is high. Parental supervision will eliminate this risk,” he said.
Other major source of accident is trying to light bombs, crackers, flower pots and other fireworks after they fail to burst or emit flicker in the first attempt. “Similarly, children tend to collect all such failed fireworks and dump in one place before attempting to burn them,” he said. In such attempts, the rockets or flower pots could get ignited and harm them when they stand nearby,” Mr. Kalayankumar added.
People should also have a bucket of water and a bucket of sand at hand while bursting crackers. In case of fire, the water could be used to douse the flame on person, and the sand on properties. “Pouring water is the best way to contain the impact of burns. When water is not around, the mantra for safety is stop, drop and roll. People should not panic and start running. Instead they should just drop down and roll on the ground till the fire is put out,” he added.
Wearing footwear will prevent children from getting hurt by walking barefoot and accidentally coming into contact with embers of cinders of used crackers or hot rods of sparklers. People should wear cotton dress while bursting crackers.
Rockets should not be used in residential areas, especially where huts with thatched roofs and haystacks are in the vicinity. Similarly, children should use longer sparklers to ignite flower pots. “They should not bring their face closer to the flower pots. In many accidents, children suffer burns on their faces and eyes only because of using shorter sparklers or not keeping a safe distance,” Mr. Kalyanakumar said.
While minor injuries could be treated with an antiseptic ointment, people should never apply ink, turmeric powder or dosa batter. When the injury is severe, they should be rushed to the hospital for proper treatment.
Mr. Kalyanakumar has asked people to immediately seek assistance of Fire and Rescue Services personnel by calling ‘101’ instead of attempting to put out the fire on their own. “Taking adequate precautions will help children avert accidents and have enjoy Deepavali celebration,” he said.