Keep our tamariki safe this fireworks season

We are encouraging all New Zealanders to “Have a Hmmm” and think about the risk of injury this fireworks season. It is particularly important to be mindful of the safety of our tamariki, as no one wants their kids to get hurt.

Many New Zealanders will have great memories of watching fireworks in the backyard with their whānau, or their first time lighting a sparkler as a kid.

We want people across Aotearoa to have a great night and remember it for all the right reasons.

Our claims data shows there were 1,179 claims for fireworks-related injuries from 2017 to 2020. Around a quarter of those claims, 312, were for children aged 0 to 9.

The data from this period shows a few trends are happening every year.

• burns are the most common injury every year
• hands/wrists are the most common part of the body to be injured every year.
• young men and children are among those most likely to be in the line of danger from fireworks
• children under 10 made up around a quarter of our fireworks-related claims each year.

James Whitaker is one of our Injury Prevention Programme Leaders. He says every year fireworks injury claims peak in November.

“The data shows that many injuries from fireworks are predictable. And this means they’re preventable,” says James.

“If you can see it coming, you can stop it happening.”

“Think about the things you can do to keep tamariki safe. Like making sure they can’t touch sparklers and other fireworks while they’re still burning hot.

“We’d love to see 2021 become the year when not one child gets injured from fireworks.”

James encourages parents to check out the advice from Fire and Emergency NZ. It offers guidance on how to safely light fireworks. “This will help to ensure you and your whānau have a memorable time on Guy Fawkes for all the right reasons.”

Fire and Emergency NZ fireworks advice

Our fireworks injury claims data statistics