News You Can Use

July 4, 2008

Fireworks Safety for a Sparkling Holiday 

Backyard pyrotechnics permissible in Pennsylvania include ground and hand-held sparkling devices, novelties and toy caps, according to the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and the PA Office of the State Fire Commissioner (OSFC).  Otherwise, PA state law prohibits the use of consumer and display fireworks in-state without a permit from the local municipality.   

The Fire Commissioner stresses that some 16 percent of all consumer fireworks injuries are caused by sparklers that can generate temperatures higher than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit and cause serious injuries.  Adult supervision coupled with the following safety tips should be enforced to avoid serious injury when the sparklers come out:

• Always remain standing while using sparklers.
• Never hold a child in your arms while using sparklers.
• Sparklers and bare feet can be a painful combination.  Always wear closed-toe shoes when using sparklers.
• Always stand at least six feet from another person while using sparklers.
• Show children how to hold sparklers away from their body and at arm's length.
• Teach children not to wave sparklers, especially wooden stick sparklers, and not to run while holding burning sparklers.
• Never hand a lighted sparkler to another person.
• Never hold, or light more than one sparkler at a time.

Finally, make sure you have a bucket of water on hand to drop in the spent sparkler.  Sparkler wires and sticks remain hot long after the flame has gone out.  See Frequently Asked Questions from the PSP for a safe holiday.  

Boating & the Correct Personal Flotation Device 

Eighty-five percent of all boating deaths could have been prevented if the victims had been wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) or life jacket, according to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PF&BC).   

When boating, the PF&BC wants to help you make the appropriate choice for Flotation Devices: 

• All boats must have a U.S. Coast Guard approved wearable (Type I, II, III, or V) PFD on board for each person.
• Boats 16 feet and over must have a throwable device (Type IV) on board.
• Wearable life jackets must be "readily accessible" (easily reached and ready to wear), and the right size for the person wearing it.
• Anyone towed behind a boat, no matter what the activity and regardless of age, must wear a life jacket.

Don't forget the kids when setting out on the water.  Pennsylvania requires those 12 years of age and under to wear a life jacket while underway on any boat 20 feet in length or less, including on canoes and kayaks.  Consult the PF&BC's brochure on personal flotation devices and other important facts for safe boating.   

Pennsylvania requires those born on or after January 1, 1982 to obtain a Boating Safety Certificate to operate a personal watercraft.  Choose between an approved classroom and internet boating courses to satisfy the State's requirements.   

Food Safety & Summer Fun  

Whether you are on a boat, at the beach, or in a campground, food temperatures play a crucial role in keeping food safe for picnicking.  The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) recommends more than lots of ice and frozen gel packs for perishables.   

Tips from the PDA for safe picnicking include: 

• Pack meat and poultry while still frozen.
• Place perishable foods in the cooler directly from the refrigerator.  Don't put everything on the counter and then start to pack.  Time also plays a crucial role in keeping food safe.
• Cover the cooler, and if possible, move out of direct sunlight.
• Choose foods that don't need to be refrigerated such as fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, trail-mix or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
• Pack what you plan to use last in the bottom of the cooler, so that you won't have to unpack the cooler every time you need a food item.
• Remember that food should not be out of the cooler for longer than two hours or one hour if the temperature is 90 degrees or hotter.
• When in doubt, throw it out.

If you will be grilling for family and friends, the PDA is reinforcing that temperature counts on the barbeque as well.  With the temperature rising, foods can quickly reach the Temperature Danger Zone or between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F.  Hot, grilled foods should be served immediately.  Food should not be at room temperature for longer than two hours.   

Discover Pennsylvania This Summer  

Join the throngs of holiday revelers vacationing close to home this summer.  The Pennsylvania Tourism Office and VisitPA.com are ready to help you and your family to discover the old and the new in your backyard and across the state.   

Explore the website then get ready to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell Pennsylvania like never before.  Select a regional roadtrip, follow an artisan trail, or zone-in on the arts and entertainment.  If you are interested in history, this is the 145^th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.   

VisitPA.com can also help you locate food and lodging along the way.  And don't forget to checkout the wide selection of coupons and packages offered through VisitPA.com.  Save money on accommodations, meals, admission fees, shopping and much more.   

Air Quality Action Alerts Now Available 

If you or someone you love is susceptible to asthma or has a pre-existing condition exacerbated by ground level ozone, you may want to receive alerts when concentrations approach potentially dangerous levels, according to the Air Quality Partnership (AQP) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).   

Ground level ozone is associated with increased emergency room visits and thousands of hospital admissions annually.  In addition to those with pre-existing conditions, the AQP indicates that children, the elderly, and adults who exercise or work outside are among those considered sensitive to concentrated levels of particulate matter.   

Short-term exposure to high levels of ozone irritates the lungs' airways and causes inflammation similar to sunburn.  Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, chest pain and headaches.  Even low levels of ozone exposure on a long-term basis can cause asthma in children and lead to permanent lung damage. 

As more people are being diagnosed as asthmatic and at a rate 3 times greater than just 20 years ago, taking preventive measures is of increasing importance, according to the AQP and the DEP.  Leave your car at home in favor of alternate forms of transportation:

• Transit: take the bus, train, subway or trolley.
• Ridesharing: join a carpool or vanpool.
• Bicycling or walking: walk or bike to your destination.
• Telecommute, as possible.

Consult the AQP website for more easy tips to help you avoid contributing to unhealthy levels of ozone pollution. 

PA State Police to Patrol for Aggressive & Drunken Drivers 

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and the PA Department of Transportation (PennDOT) are reminding motorists that troopers will be watching for speeders and aggressive drivers, as well as those driving drunk over the 3-day 2008 Fourth of July holiday weekend.  They will also be enforcing the State's seat belt laws and Steer Clear law, according to the PSP.   

PSP is reminding drivers to obey the Steer Clear Law requiring drivers to move over or slow down when encountering an emergency response area.  These laws are applicable in locations where the police are making traffic stops, through construction sites, and in the presence of emergency response vehicles.   

Motorists are required to move to a lane that is not adjacent to the scene of an emergency response, police stop, or a tow truck picking up an abandoned vehicle.  If drivers cannot move over because of traffic or other conditions, they must reduce their speed.   

The law applies any time an emergency vehicle has its lights flashing and where road crews or emergency personnel have lighted flares or posted signs.  Failure to move over or slow down can result in a summary offense that carries a fine of up to $250.  In addition, fines will be doubled for traffic violations occurring in these areas.  If that violation leads to a worker being injured, a 90-day license suspension could result.   

Note that when police are not present, the law allows road workers and emergency responders to report violations by motorists.  Law enforcement can issue citations based on these reports.