PHANTOM FIREWORKS PRESS RELEASES

Fireworks-Related Injuries Down

YOUNGSTOWN, OH – Fireworks-related injuries in the U.S. have declined over 21% from 1994 to 2007 against an increase in use of fireworks products by a factor of 2.25 during the same period according to statistics published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. If you calculate injuries based on 100,000 pounds of fireworks used, the fireworks-related injuries have dropped by an amazing 65.42%

The CPSC reported 12,500 estimated fireworks-related injuries for the calendar year 1994 against only 9,800 estimated injuries for the calendar year 2007. In 1994 Americans imported 117 million pounds of fireworks compared to 265.5 million pounds in 2007.

Based on injuries per 100,000 pounds of fireworks used, there was an injury factor of 10.7 in 1994 dropping to 3.7 in 2007. That represents a reduction of 65.42% in fireworks-related injuries based on injuries per 100,000 pounds of products used.

“Using 1994 as a benchmark year makes sense based on the fact that the American Fireworks Standards Laboratory began its independent third-party product testing program that year,” said Alan L. Zoldan, President of the AFSL Board of Directors and Executive Vice President of Phantom Fireworks.

“That first year, only 64% of the products tested by the AFSL complied with U.S. government manufacturing and performance standards,” reported Zoldan. “That compliance figure has steadily risen over the years to a compliance rate of 93% of products tested in 2006.”

“The AFSL conducts seminars with the Chinese manufacturers on the U.S. standards and how to make the products safer. AFSL actually sends technicians into the factories to work one on one with the manufacturers to improve the quality control processes,” explained Jerry Bostocky, former AFSL Board President and Phantom Fireworks Vice President.

“The improved safety record of consumer fireworks in the U.S. is certainly related to the Product Improvement Program of the AFSL, but don’t discount the efforts by industry leaders like Phantom Fireworks to get the safety message out to its customers,” said Bostocky. “The smarter and more safety-conscious American buying public is more responsible for the improving safety record of consumer fireworks than anything else,” Bostocky postulated.

“There is no other consumer product with which any risk is associated on which the CPSC maintains injury statistics that has such an impressive safety record as fireworks,” said Zoldan. “The fireworks industry certainly has much to be proud of in terms of the improving safety record of the products,” reported Zoldan.

For more information on fireworks safety, visit Phantom’s Fireworks University section of its website at http://www.fireworks.com/safety/.

Phantom Fireworks is owned by the B.J. Alan Company, headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio.