Hallowe'en is no longer a night but a season. Already the emergency services are dealing with casualties, many of them children, in the build-up to bonfire night, reports Anne Dempsey.
'It's a bit like the first cuckoo," says Garda Jim Molloy of the Garda Press Office. "You could hear the first one in August and then it's a build-up to Hallowe'en night. For weeks now, we've been getting calls about bangers going off. There's the nuisance aspect and sometimes, though hopefully rarely, you hear of fireworks being pushed through someone's letter box."
Hallowe'en is no longer a night but a season, with the Garda, the fire brigade and hospital A&E departments geared to responding to a protracted lead-in.
"The problems begin three weeks before when the children begin to gather material for the bonfire," agrees Dr Ciara Martin, consultant in the Department of Emergency Medicine, Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin in Dublin. "We have children coming in with nails up through their feet, with splinters, with lacerations on their hands and feet and with more serious injuries as a result of climbing and falling off roofs of disused buildings."
Hallowe'en legitimises the knocking on your door by local children, collecting their haul of sweets, apples and nuts and repairing to the bonfire to consume them in darkness lit by a few illicit fireworks. These days, the mid-autumn festival has become increasingly commercialised and may feature alcohol-laced, adult fancy-dress parties including a private firework and bonfire display.
However, in the wrong hands, bonfires and fireworks present a safety hazard, and adults and children are seriously maimed each year. Within the last year, hospitals here have begun keeping statistical records of Hallowe'en-related injuries which will over time provide valuable data.
Anecdotal reports which predate these records include serious hand injuries leading to the amputation of fingers or parts of fingers, plastic surgery or skin grafting. There may be blast injuries to face and eyes caused by explosion. Petrol thrown on a bonfire can make it flare up and set fire to trousers, causing severe leg burns. There may also be damage to hearing. "The typical firecracker injury is hand injury to the thumb, index and middle finger, just the ones the children need for PlayStation," says Dr Martin.
"We also get injuries to the face and eye. Skin charring and burns to the hand and arm are another problem. You can have a circumferential burn all round the arm, which squeezes the blood vessels. If there is no feeling it may mean the nerve ends are burnt and this is serious.
"If there is an accident, judge the burn by the area," advises Dr Martin. "Large burns and scalds dilate the blood vessels, which may cause blood plasma to escape, reduce the total volume of blood available for circulation and so lead to body trauma and shock. If more than half a square inch of skin is burned, call the doctor. If the burn is the size of an adult hand, it is potentially serious, particularly to a child, who may need hospitalisation to provide fluid-replacement by transfusion. If medical treatment is necessary, wrap the burnt area in cling film to keep airborne bacteria from raw skin."
For burns small enough to treat at home, the first-aid advice is to cool the affected area by putting it under the cold tap for at least 10 minutes. Don't interfere with a blister as it protects raw skin from infection and prevents further plasma-leakage. Take advice from a doctor or a pharmacist before applying any ointments because a sterile dressing may be the best option.
Fireworks have always been illegal in the Republic, except when authorised under permit, and last summer they became illegal in Northern Ireland. This means they can only be bought illegally, often from street traders. These products may have passed no safety standards.
Dr Martin says that some of the fireworks they see are obviously bad quality. "They explode too quickly, and the fuse is too short."
Writing on firecracker injuries in the Irish Medical Times some years ago, plastic surgeon Seamus O'Riain reported that firework samples sent to Garda Forensic Laboratory did not conform to British Safety Standard regulations. Some contained potassium, a much more explosive substance than gunpowder and often had no instructions for use. He described them not as toys but as potent explosives.
"Every year, we confiscate a large haul of illegal fireworks from street traders and the station is full of the stuff," says Garda Molloy. Where illegal possession can be proven, traders are prosecuted and fined, but obviously it's still worth their while to ply their trade.
Pat Costello, chief executive of the National Safety Council, calls on parents not to encourage bonfires. "While bonfires are traditional at Hallowe'en, they can be extremely dangerous. Parents should make sure bonfires take place only under adult supervision - in a safe area, away from houses, overhead cables and fireworks. Left in the hands of children, bonfires and fireworks can be a truly deadly combination.
"Parents should take time out with their children in advance of Hallowe'en and explain the reason for safety, and go over our safety advice with them," he says. "Hallowe'en is a time for kids but they should enjoy it in the full knowledge of the dangers around them. For too many families, this annual festival turns into a time of distress and even tragedy."
Some people believe legalising the sale of fireworks would ensure correct storage, better surveillance and quality-control monitoring. However, as with the debate on legalising other potentially dangerous substances, the counter argument is that this would increase use and, therefore, misuse and injury.
Meanwhile, it's not so much a case of caveat emptor, let the buyer beware, but evitet emptor, let the buyer avoid.
How to reduce the risks
Know where your children are, and provide them with reflective material to improve their visibility
Keep pets indoors on Hallowe'en night
If allowing a bonfire, supervise it.
Keep children well back.
Don't light it with petrol or paraffin, and don't try to keep it going with paints, batteries tyres or fireworks, which are highly dangerous. Don't let it get too high, keep a bucket of water on hand and dowse the embers before leaving
If things get out of hand, call 999 immediately and ask for the Fire Brigade.
All fireworks are illegal. It is recommended not to use them, but if they are being used, they should be handled with care. They should be kept in a closed box and used one at a time, following the instructions carefully. Keep a naked flame away except when you are ready to ignite. Light fireworks at arm's length with a taper and stand well back. Never return to a firework once it has been lit, and never throw a firework
From National Safety Council Promotion of Fire and Road Safety. LoCall 1890-200844. Website: www.nsc.ie