IT'S NO ACCIDENT !

by Dan Romaszko
from QuickMatch, June 1996

     Now that the wind is no longer howling, furnaces have stopped running around the clock and the scraping of windshields is nothing more than an unpleasant memory, it's time to get on with business.  Just what business am I referring to?  Fireworks, of course - shooting shows and lighting up the sky.  Anyone can shoot a show but it takes trained professionals to transport equipment & product, set up, shoot, tear down and get back home to your loved ones - in one piece!

   According to Webster s College Dictionary, safety is "the state of being safe from the risk of experiencing or causing injury, danger, or loss."  Safety doesn t just happen.  We have to make it happen.  It takes time and effort, but, the payoff is well worth it.  The payoff is being able to walk, talk, see, hear -- being able put your arms around your "significant other", being able to hold their hand.  Most of us take all or most of these things for granted.  Maybe it's time to start thinking about some of them a little more and realize that any and/or all of them could be taken away in an instant.
 
     Safety requires planning and foresight.  Be familiar with the site where you will be shooting. Know how long it is going to take to get there.  Give yourself some extra time.  Nothing causes accidents more than rushing.  Rushing tends to cause us to take shortcuts and most shortcuts end in disaster.

     Hard hats and goggles (or a face shield) are a must.  Hearing loss is permanent.  Once it's gone it's gone forever, so don't risk losing any more.  Plugs or muffs should be worn, without exception.  If you think that you are getting used to the noise associated with shooting a show, what is really happening is that you are going deaf -- huh?  What 'd you say?

     When carrying racks, wear gloves and lift with your legs - not your back.  Keep the load as close to your body as possible and don't twist or turn while carrying them.

     Lastly, after shooting a show, be extremely careful when checking mortars for shells.  Just recently I assisted at a show.  Everything went smooth.  The finale was great.  The five of us were standing around shooting the breeze before starting to tear down the racks.  Suddenly a 3” shell lifted from one of the mortars in the finale.  Had someone been checking the mortars for shells (and did so in an unsafe manner) a serious accident could have occurred.  Please, please, please be careful.  If you are not sure about something, ASK.  Remember, there is no such thing as a foolish question.  Think "payoff".  In addition to the payoffs that I mentioned above, another big one is the fact that you will be around to shoot another show.

    So, have a nice summer, and, above all, BE SAFE!!

Dan