Insurance company: In the last three years, 41 people in Norway suffered eye injuries after using fireworks

Photo: Arthur Chauvineau / Unsplash

In the last three years, 41 people have ended up in hospital with eye injuries after accidents related to fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

Only three of them wore goggles, the insurance company Tryg Forsikring noted on Friday.

“It is inconceivable that some people still do not wear goggles when setting off fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Everyone, both those who are launching the fireworks, and those who are watching, should wear goggles,” communications consultant Torbjørn Brandeggen in Tryg stated.

Before the ban on the use of stick rockets was introduced in 2008, there were an average of 20 cases of serious eye injuries each year. In the last five years, the average is 14, according to figures from Haukeland Hospital and the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB).

Calling for a ban

Together with 40 organizations and professionals, ophthalmologist Nils Bull at Haukeland University Hospital is demanding a ban on the private use of fireworks.

“The motto would be: Protect your eyes, protect your hospital,” Bull told NTB earlier this Christmas.

He says that as long as there is no ban on private individuals being allowed to use fireworks, the eye injuries will continue to affect people during the New Year celebrations.

“It will happen this New Year celebration as well. No tightening (of the regulation) has been implemented so far. Until that happens, the injury figures will not go down,” he said.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

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