MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) has urged the public to stay away from 17 types of fireworks this year, saying that these did not meet safety and quality standards.
The said fireworks are either too big or tend to explode unexpectedly, and may cause serious injuries to kids, adults and animals.
The 17 illegal fireworks listed by the PNP include:
- Super Lolo
- Lolo Thunder
- Big Bawang
- Whistling Bomb
- Five Star
- Atomic Bomb
- Giant Whistle
- Bomb
- Goodbye Philippines
- Piccolo
- Triangulo
- Mother Rockets
- Pillbox
- Boga
- Judas’ Belt
- Kwiton
- Og
The Department of Health has recorded 71 cases of fireworks injuries in the country as of December 26, five days before New Year’s Eve or the peak of fireworks use.
First-aid tips
Legal fireworks, however, do not necessarily guarantee the safety of its users.
On the ABS-CBN morning show “Umagang Kay Ganda” on Thursday, physician Dr. Rey Salinel Jr. shared first-aid tips for home fireworks accidents.
He stressed, however, that these are only temporary measures, saying that fireworks victims should be immediately brought to the nearest hospital.
Here are his tips:
For first-degree burns on hands or legs
- Instead of using home remedies such as toothpaste or a slice of tomato, get a medicated ointment and apply it to the burned area.
- If an ointment is not available, run cool water on the burned area for 10-15 minutes. Do not use ice.
- Cover the burned area with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Bring the patient to the nearest hospital.
For small wounds (one-inch big or less)
- Run cool water on the wound for 10-15 minutes. Cold water may be used to stop the bleeding and to ease the pain.
- Cover the wound with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- If necessary, bring the patient to the nearest hospital.
For big wounds
- Run cool water on the wound for 10-15 minutes. Use alkaline soap to clean the wound.
- Cover the wound with kitchen wrap or aluminum foil.
- Bring the patient to the nearest hospital.
Injured fingers
- If the fingers are still intact, run the fingers on cool water. Do not use ice.
- If some fingers are lost, try to look for them and place them in a clean plastic bag with ice.
- Bring the patient and the dismembered finger to the nearest hospital.
For eye injuries
- Flush the eye with cool water to remove any residue from the fireworks. Do not use ice.
- Do not scratch or touch the injured eye.
- Cover the injured eye with a clean cloth and bring the patient to the nearest hospital.
For watusi poisoning
- Let the patient drink egg whites. Give six to eight egg whites to a child and eight to 12 egg whites to an adult.
- If the patient can’t stand the taste of egg whites, add soda or juice from citrus fruits such as oranges.
- Bring the patient to the nearest hospital.