Accidents Caused by Party Poppers
TNT Big Fun Party Poppers are small rocket shaped poppers with a 3.5-inch wooden support stick. The popper makes a loud pop when a string is pulled shooting the rocket into the air. They are not classified as fireworks and have much less restrictions placed on them. However, they are not allowed on school campuses, on airplanes and various other locations due to the hazards associated with the product.
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Bodily Injuries
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An inappropriately launched rocket can cause bodily harm to children and adults. These poppers should not be aimed or shot toward someone. If the rocket was to come in contact with someone's face when launched from a short distance, serious injury can occur. Party Poppers are especially dangerous for children to play with as they may point the rocket toward themselves by accident while trying to pull the string.
Explosive
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The pulled string ignites 16 mg of explosive charge combined with air pressure, causing the popper to launch the small rocket. While there is very minimal explosive charge in one Party Popper, combined with other poppers or fire it can be a serious hazard. Tests have shown the explosive charge to be a potential hazard and is thus not allowed on commercial airplanes.
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Safety
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The key to preventing Party Popper-induced accidents is safety and proper use. When used as directed Party Poppers are less of a hazard and are a fun addition to a party. Do not aim the popper directly at anyone at any time. Even when you are not going to pull the string, the rocket can accidentally launch and strike someone. Do not launch multiple rockets at once. Multiple rockets combine and increase the explosive charge. In addition, the direction of each fired rocket is harder to track when there are more than one.
Party Popper Recall
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Due to the hazards associated with them, Party Poppers from Wal-Mart were recalled by popper producers,TNT, via the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. In 2003, the U.S. CPSC issued a Party Popper recall announcement stating the hazards of the product and encouraging people to discontinue use and return their poppers immediately for a full refund. Although the recall was not based on any reported injuries, the potential for serious injuries were enough to warrant a recall
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References
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