First of all, we’d like to wish all our readers a Happy, Prosperous and Safe Diwali. Diwali will be celebrated on Sunday, 3^rd November, 2013. Most of the kids would be so much excited about the fireworks. Most households will be getting ready to celebrate Diwali this year with as many fireworks as they can.

Getting ready with fireworks is good, but you need to be equally prepared for accidents as well. As festival of lights and fireworks, the chances are high for accidents to happen. Here are some tips for parents as well as for children who’ll be playing with fireworks.

Safety measures and tips during Diwali

Here are some safety measures that should be taken during this Diwali.

• Water, lots of it: Have a large bucket of water as stand by. Water is the best way to douse off accidental fires and accidental burns.
• First-aid Kit: Have a first-aid kit ready with burn medications ready and available.
• Appropriate clothes: Avoid wearing loosely fitted clothes while playing with fireworks. Loose clothes can easily catch fire. Also avoid wearing nylon or polyester clothes. They can also catch fire easily. Always wear cotton clothes. Cotton does not catch fire that easily.
• Where to light fireworks: Light the fireworks in absolutely open areas. Avoid lighting directly under electricity supply wires. Lighting fireworks in closed and constricted places is recipe for disaster, not just from fire but also from the smoke.
• Safe Distance: While lighting fireworks, never lean over them. Be at a safe distance from the fireworks while lighting them. Maintain at least an arm’s length of distance.
• Long Incense sticks: Use a long incense sticks for lighting fireworks. These long incense sticks add to the safety distance.
• Relighting: If a cracker has not lit properly, do not attempt to light it again. There are chances that there is still some leftover spark that can suddenly ignite the cracker.
• No Multi-tasking: Never light more than one firework at a time. It can be difficult to coordinate between two or more fireworks and this negligence can prove costly.
• Rockets only for outdoors: Be very careful while lighting rockets. Do not light rockets horizontally or while holding them in your hands. Never point rockets towards buildings, people, property, cables, etc Aim it only towards the sky.
• Handling Sparklers: After you play with the sparklers, always put them either in water or immerse them in sand and do not touch them. The metal pieces are known to be hot even after 30 minutes.
• Never Give into Bullying: Don’t get carried away by an elder or your friend’s bullying. Never take risks while playing with fireworks and do not underestimate fireworks.
• Adult Supervision: Always light fireworks under adult supervision. Listen to what your parents say while playing with fireworks. They are more experienced than you are and they know how things work.
• Brand: Buy only branded fireworks. Branded and reputed fireworks use scientific methods of manufacture and hence you can be sure that they don’t go off accidentally.
• Discourage child labor: Last but not the least, enquire whether or not the fireworks manufacturer is a child labor-free organization or not. Do not encourage fireworks manufacturers who employ children below the age of 14 for manufacturing fireworks. There are still some fireworks manufacturers who employ child labor to work with hazardous materials and in hazardous environments.

From ParentingHealthyBabies.com, we wish all the kids, a very happy, prosperous, fun-filled and safe Diwali. Have a great time!