Dr Sanjeev Uppal, professor and head of Plastic Surgery and president, NZAPSI at DMCH, gave tips on how to burn crackers to avoid accidents. According to him, children, usually, like to burst crackers many days before Diwali. Anars and rockets are very dangerous and children should ignite these crackers with safety.

He cautioned that all accidents due to fireworks occur as a result of carelessness, negligence and ignorance. But these could be avoided by taking simple precautions. A small negligence on the part of kids could turn the celebration into a mishap or personal damage.

The tips

The tips suggested by Dr Uppal are as under:

Always burst crackers and fireworks in an open space. Always do this in the presence of elders

Wear tight-fitting clothes preferably made of cotton

Always keep a bucket full of water near by

Always keep the rockets in a relatively big-sized heavy bottle and the tip should face upwards

Anars should be lit with a sparkle (phulzhari) sitting parallel on floor and not bending over the anar

Never explode crackers and other things in hand

Store the crackers away from the place and in a metal container with a lid on

Never try to explode crackers with empty cans over it

Always keep sparkles away from body

Purchase good quality crackers with ISI certification