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Home Patients' Zone Festival Eye Care Fireworks Eye Safety

Fireworks Eye Safety

New Year's Eve, Fourth of July, Bonfire Night, Chinese New Year and Eid

Fireworks light up New Year's Eve around the world, the Fourth of July in the United States, Bonfire Night in the United Kingdom, Lunar New Year in East Asia and Eid in many countries. They also cause serious eye injuries every year, often to bystanders and children. In the United States alone, an estimated 14,700 people were treated for fireworks injuries in 2024, with the head, face and ears injured in about one in five.

Which fireworks cause eye injuries?

  • Sparklers burn at very high temperatures, hot enough to melt some metals, and are a leading cause of burns in young children.
  • Rockets and aerial shells that misfire or tip over can strike the face.
  • Firecrackers and bangers cause blast injuries and throw out hot debris.
  • Homemade or illegal fireworks are especially dangerous.

How to stay safe

  • The safest choice is a public display run by professionals. Watch from the marked safe distance.
  • If you use fireworks at home, follow local laws, buy from licensed sellers, and wear safety glasses while lighting.
  • Light one firework at a time, step back immediately, and never lean over a firework.
  • Never relight a "dud"; wait, then soak it in water.
  • Do not let young children hold sparklers; for older children, supervise closely and keep a bucket of water for used sparklers.
  • Never point or throw fireworks at people, and keep pets and children well back.
  • Alcohol and fireworks do not mix.

First aid for an eye injury

Do

  • If only powder, colour, smoke or dust went in and the eye is not cut: rinse gently with plenty of clean running water for 15–20 minutes, holding the lids open.
  • If there is a cut, bleeding, an object stuck in the eye, or the eye looks misshapen: cover it loosely with a clean paper cup or the cut-off bottom of a plastic bottle, and go straight to an eye hospital or emergency department.
  • Keep the person sitting up and calm, and take them to hospital even if the pain settles.

Don't

  • Don't rub or press on the eye.
  • Don't try to remove anything stuck in the eye.
  • Don't rinse an eye that may be cut or punctured.
  • Don't put in ointment, home remedies, rose water, honey, ghee or breast milk.
  • Don't take aspirin or ibuprofen for the pain before you are seen: they can increase bleeding inside the eye.

See an eye doctor the same day if

  • Vision is blurred or reduced and does not clear with blinking.
  • Pain, redness or watering continues after rinsing, or the eye cannot be opened.
  • There is a cut on the eye or eyelid, blood in the eye, or something stuck in it.
  • A chemical, cracker powder or lime (chuna) went into the eye.
  • Light hurts the eye, or you see flashes, floaters or a shadow.

For Indian festivals, see our Diwali eye safety page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the first aid for a fireworks eye injury?

Do not rub, rinse, press or try to remove anything from the eye. Shield it loosely with a paper cup and seek emergency care at once. Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen beforehand.

Are sparklers safe for children?

Sparklers burn hot enough to cause serious burns. Young children should not hold them; older children need close supervision and a bucket of water for used sparklers.

Do bystanders get eye injuries from fireworks?

Yes. Many fireworks eye injuries happen to people who were only watching. Keep a safe distance and prefer professional displays.

Related: Diwali Eye Safety, Eye injury and emergency treatment, Halloween Eye Safety.

Eye problem after a festival?

Sadbhaav Eye & Dental Clinic, Motera, Ahmedabad. Message us on WhatsApp or call. Clinic hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 8 pm. For a serious injury outside clinic hours, go to the nearest eye hospital or emergency department.

+91 70169 12180

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