Fireworks are a traditional piece of 4th of July celebrations, but the Consumer Products and Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning people about the dangers of setting off personal fireworks. Last year there were nearly 9,000 emergency room visits for fireworks related injuries. The majority of these injuries involved people under the age of 20, and many resulted in the loss of limbs. Even the smallest and most common personal fireworks can cause burns and dangerous injuries to the hands, face, and head. While the safest option is to just enjoy your town’s professional fireworks display, if you do choose to use personal fireworks, be sure to move back a safe distance immediately after lighting and to only let adults handle the devices. Read more.

The American Red Cross and the YMCA have started the “Pool Safely” campaign to promote pool safety for children. Safe pools include barriers to protect young children from going in unsupervised and alarms on doors to alert parents if their children go out to the pool unexpectedly. Parents can also improve their family’s safety by getting trained in basic water rescue skills, first aid, and CPR, and by keeping a first aid kit near the pool. Watch the campaign’s new PSA above and visit www.poolsafety.gov for more information.

Hosting a big cookout this weekend? Remember to be cautious when preparing and serving your food. Large gatherings, especially when food is served outdoors in the summer, are a common source of outbreaks of food-borne illness. Warm days can bring food to ideal temperatures for bacteria to grow, and contamination of utensils can occur when many people prepare food at the same time. Remember to always wash your hands before and after preparing food, separate different foods on different serving plates, and keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Learn more.