Safety Tips for the New Year

The New Year is the busiest time for emergency rooms across the country, mainly due to accidents involving firecrackers.

As you say goodbye to the old one and welcome the new, you might want to keep a few safety tips in mind so your New Year starts on a good note.

I’ve listed down a few items you may want to keep in mind for the festivities.

Drive carefully

Thanks to commercials showing injuries combined with the high cost of firecrackers, habit of welcoming the New Year with a bang has decreased over the years.

But even with the decrease, there is still quite a number being used up on the streets, the preferred place where most people prefer to light them up on.

I do my best to keep an eye on where I point my wheels. Running over firecrackers, especially the really big ones, can damage tires and the underbody of vehicles. I also make it a point to use keep the windows rolled up so stray rockets don’t fly in the car.

Wear protective eye gear

Fireworks and, most especially, firecrackers release large amounts of heat that result in loud sounds or dazzling lights.

But not everything burns up in those few microseconds. Some of the unburned items may be in the form of paper, plastic, or even flammable powders.

And since we have the habit of looking up in the sky during firework displays, debris can fall on to our eyes.

In the case of firecrackers exploding on the ground, bits of cement, asphalt, and even sand can be blown our way by explosions.

One time when a friend of mine dropped a Triangulo, or triangle firecracker, on it sent clumps of sand and rock towards all of us in the resulting explosion.

Fortunately, I had worn a pair of light sunglasses that night and nothing made it to my eye. However, I did get hit my cheek nicked by a pebble.

If you have goggles, wear them during for the night. If you wear contact lenses, try skipping them for glasses instead.

And though you may not look at great in pictures, they are better than attending the next New Year’s celebration in an eye patch..

Remove car covers

Rockets are notorious for going anywhere. Even if they are pointed straight up, they have a bad habit of chasing people, entering houses, or exploding on flammable material.

Though more expensive car covers are fire retardant, typical ones may catch fire with a hot enough blast.

Also, car covers tend to trap residue between them and the car.

During the New Year, the air typically is filled with dark powder. It usually settles down the next day, with some of it making its way underneath your car cover.

When the car cover is moved either by wind or by hand, they particles can scratch your paint.

In my case, I make sure that my car cover is off for the night. And before going to bed, I hose down the car with water and don’t bother to dry it.

When the soot settled done the next morning, some of it will naturally settle on my car. So I just rinse it off when I wake up the next morning.

Stay under a roof

Guns and alcohol don’t mix. Of all the days of the year, the highest number of bullet injuries occur during the New Year.

I’ve heard stories of children lying in bed being hit. I’ve heard of people sitting on the curb as they enjoy the lights shows, only to suddenly drop to the ground in a pool of blood. I have even heard of people perched on window sills who suddenly lose feelings on limbs because of stray bullets.

In my case, I do my best to keep my family on the ground floor of our home. The more things we have above our heads, the better it is for us.

Cover food and drinks

Another popular practice of people during the New Year is to carry their food and drinks to the street as they watch the fireworks and firecrackers there.

Dust and particles may make their way into food and drinks. And since they are toxic, it can make people ill.

My family never brings food out of the house. And even when it is inside, we put food covers over them.

For the times that we step out of the house with our drinks, we always make it a point to have covers on our glasses. The least is that we cover our glasses with our hands and make sure to look at its contents before drinking.

Protect your ears

Firecrackers may have gotten safer but sound like they have gotten louder over the years. It is not uncommon to temporarily lose your hearing after the New Year.

Open spaces or those with trees helps to dissipate and absorb the sound. But if you are watching firecrackers from a street with houses on both sides and little ventilation, the sound will be loud.

Ideally, you should buy ear plugs but some people feel that it also blocks the voices of people, making conversations difficult.

I must admit that I keep a pair of ear plugs in my drawer but don’t always remember to use them. Instead, I use the same tried and tested method our ancestors have used for generations – I cover my ears.

I suggest doing the same because the any damage you experience now tends to manifest itself in one’s old age. And if there is one lesson I have learned from my grandparents, it is that I’d like to keep my hearing in good condition for as long as possible.

Well, there you have it, a few tips on keeping you and your family safe for the New Year.

Till then, may you and your family have a very Happy New Year!