We sell crackers for a living and we still say this: almost every Diwali injury we hear about comes from one of four things — a dud being relit, a cracker held in the hand, loose synthetic clothing, or children left unsupervised. Fix those four and the evening is safe.
Before you light anything
- Burst only in an open space — a yard, a terrace with a parapet, or a street away from parked vehicles. Never in a balcony, a corridor or under a tree.
- Keep two buckets of water and a bucket of dry sand within arm's reach. Sand smothers a flare that water will spread.
- Read the label on each item. Skyshots and aerial items must stand on flat ground, weighted, never on a wall or in a pot.
- Light with an agarbatti (incense stick) held at arm's length, never a matchbox held close or a lighter.
- Take the whole evening's stock out of the box in small lots. Keep the main carton closed and well away from where you are lighting.
What to wear
- Cotton only. Nylon, polyester and most 'party' fabrics melt onto skin instead of burning away.
- Tight-fitting clothes with no dupatta, scarf or loose sleeve near the flame.
- Closed shoes, not slippers. Most foot burns are from stepping on a spent chakkar.
- Tie long hair back and keep it away from sparklers.
The rule about duds
If a cracker does not go off, leave it alone. Do not go back to it, do not bend over it, do not relight it. Wait at least 15 minutes, then soak it in a bucket of water and keep it there overnight. A dud that fires late while someone is standing over it is the single most common cause of eye and hand injuries.
Children
- An adult must be present and not holding a phone. One adult watching, not six adults assuming.
- Under 12: sparklers, ground spinners, snake tablets and colour match boxes only, and even then an adult lights it.
- Never give a child a bomb, an atom bomb, a rocket, a skyshot or anything that must be placed and walked away from.
- Teach the one rule they will remember: light it, then walk back five steps. Do not stand over it.
Pets and neighbours
- Keep dogs and cats indoors in an inner room with the windows shut and a fan or music on. Their hearing is far more sensitive than yours.
- Do not burst loud items before 6 pm or after 10 pm — in most cities that is also the legal window.
- Check for people who are unwell, elderly or have newborns nearby before you light anything loud.
If someone gets burnt
- 1Hold the burn under cool running water for 15 to 20 minutes. Not ice, not iced water.
- 2Do not apply toothpaste, ghee, butter, oil, turmeric or ink. They trap heat and cause infection.
- 3Do not burst blisters. Cover loosely with a clean cotton cloth or cling film.
- 4For any burn to the eye, face, hand or anything larger than a palm, go to hospital immediately — do not wait to see how it looks in the morning.
- 5Keep your nearest hospital's number saved before the evening starts.
Storage and the morning after
- Store the carton in a cool, dry place away from the kitchen, the inverter, any heater and direct sunlight. Never on top of a fridge.
- Keep crackers out of a locked car. A car in the sun gets hot enough to matter.
- Sweep up spent crackers the same night and soak them before binning. A half-burnt chakkar in a bin bag has set fire to many a dustbin.
- Do not burn the leftover paper and packing — dispose of it with the regular waste.
Green crackers
NEERI-approved green crackers carry a QR code on the pack that you can scan to check they are genuine. They use less barium and produce noticeably less smoke. Ask us on WhatsApp if you want your list built only from green-certified items, and we will do it.