6 Precautions During Diwali Festival – Tips for Safety

Diwali is the festival of lights, a celebration that signifies the triumph of good over evil. It is a celebration of goodness, happiness, and prosperity. Even though this festival is beaming with lights and colours and delicious cuisines. It is very important to take safety precautions during Diwali.

To ensure a safe Diwali and not to forget an eco-friendly Diwali, I have combined a few safety precautions for you and your loved ones to follow.

6 Safety Precautions During Diwali

1. Wear the right and safe clothing

During any festival, you love dressing up in your traditional attire. But, to ensure a safe Diwali, one has to be very careful about their clothes around candles, lamps or firecrackers. Even though firecrackers are banned by the Indian Government – some people still do not pay heed. If you live around these people do follow these tips for precautions during Diwali:

Consider buying fabrics like wool, silk, 100% polyester or nylon. These are difficult to ignite and are also self-extinguishing. However, study the flammability of fabrics like rayon, cotton, cotton/polyester blends or acrylic. They easily ignite and are likely to burn very rapidly. Avoid them!
Wear comfortable yet not too baggy outfits for easy movement – as you are busy visiting or attending to family and friends during the festive season. Moreover, a lot of extended frills or accessories can catch you unaware and become life-threatening.
Avoid wearing fabric shoes as a few sparks falling off the crackers can catch fire and result in an uncalled-for injury or accident. Thus, wear covered shoes throughout the festivities to avoid any injury.
Also, to avoid air pollution due to noisy firecrackers, wear cotton balls or earplugs in your ears.

Note: Government of India banned crackers hazardous to health owing to pollution. Read the full article on Firecrackers Banned to understand the do’s and don’ts during Diwali

2. First-Aid Precautions during Diwali

It is very important to keep first-aid precautions during Diwali celebrations – ready always.

The vital precautions during Diwali are:

Burns can be by firecrackers, candles and diyas (oil lamps) as well. Thus, at close proximity, keep a bag of sand, a bucket of water and a fire extinguisher to avoid any fire mishaps.
In case your clothes or accessories do catch fire, instead of rushing here and there, try to step on it. Or roll on the floor to cut down the oxygen supply to the fire quickly.
Always keep a first aid box with all the necessary medications close by during Diwali.
In case of a burn, do not panic! Wash the burnt area with cool water for at least 10 minutes. Soon after, apply an antiseptic burn cream.
If it is a severe burn, pour water for continuous 15 minutes and then, before rushing to the hospital.
There are a number of home remedies for burns that have soothing properties and can reduce the pain drastically. These include aloe-vera gel or cream, honey, toothpaste, vanilla essence, vinegar, milk, and coconut oil.

3. Be Pet-Sensitive – they can’t speak – but can hear!

Make this Diwali – a pet-friendly Diwali!

Festival of Diwali – is one of the worst days for your four-legged friends. Follow the tips on precautions during Diwali below:

i) Shut all doors and windows so that your pets feel safe and are protected from noises like crackers, loud music, people talking loudly. If you cant, buy your pets ear-muffs – they may not shut out the sound completely – however, reduce the impact considerably. If unavoidable – please drive away to a pollution-free holiday destination so that your pet is away from the noise and air pollution.

ii) Avoid bursting crackers. In case you do light crackers – select the ones only to light up without any sound. The smoke is harmful – so keep your pets far-far away from the place you burst crackers.

4. make the right choice of firecrackers

Delhi Police advises “people to avoid setting off firecrackers or rather use them in moderation, to promote an eco-friendly Diwali.” According to the Delhi Police guidelines – “No one should set off crackers beyond 10 p.m.” However, if you plan on burning firecrackers, take these few safety precautions during Diwali.

As per instructions to buy green crackers the Government has given special instructions to limited firecrackers manufacturers. By reducing the quantum of barium nitrate in a cracker and replacing it with a different chemical, you can reduce the pollutants emitted by 30 per cent. Moreover, the noise levels may drop from a high 160 decibels to as low as 125 decibels. Make sure, you check the formula. Crackers are passed for tests by the Petroleum and safety Explosives Organisation (PSEO), at Sivasaki.

“The Supreme Court had banned conventional firecrackers in 2018 and had allowed only green firecrackers, which cause 30% less pollution.” – Hindustan Times. These crackers bring down harmful gases in the air by 30-35%. However, as per research, the shift to green crackers may not be the solution to effective control of air and sound pollution.

Just in case you burst crackers – make sure they are ‘green’. Purchase them from a legal manufacturer certified by the government. Read the instructions carefully to avoid any mishaps.

Information Source: www.thehindubusinessline.com

5. How to store and light Crackers

Store all the fireworks away in a box and keep away from fire, heat and electrical wiring.
Light firecrackers only out in the open garden, park or on an open terrace. Avoid the balcony or lighting crackers very close to indoor spaces.
Do not let kids burst crackers without any supervision. An adult who is dependable should be at the spot to help the kids burn crackers.
Always place the firecracker in the right direction especially the skyrockets and preferably put all of them on a firm surface.
Do not burst firecrackers while holding them in your fingers as it is way too risky.
Stand away from the crackers after lighting them up and use a candle to burn the crackers.
Also, wait till one cracker finishes burning before you move on to lighting the next one.

6. Eco-Friendly Diwali – Precautions during diwali

Say No to Firecracker and Yes to Clean Air!

Bursting or lighting firecrackers causes an increase in both air and noise pollution every year. More than anything, outdoor air pollution impacts the indoor air in every household. The quality of air deteriorates drastically causing problems for people suffering from asthma, respiratory problems, blood pressure, and cardiovascular issues. Thus precautions during Diwali are a must to avoid health issues.

Do try these natural ways to improve the quality of air at home for an eco-friendly Diwali :

Himalayan pink salt crystal lamps are especially known to clean the air and soothe allergies.
Beeswax Candles help with removing toxins from the air.
Houseplants such as Snake plant, Peace Lily, Spider plant, Rubber plant clean and purify the air indoors.
Activated charcoal absorbs all the impurities in the air.
Burn Essential oils such as lavender, mandarin peel, camphor, eucalyptus.

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BOTTOM-LINE

While keeping the above safety precautions during Diwali in mind, we would like each one of you to have a safe Diwali and are hoping for a Cracker-free Diwali as well. By following the precautions during Diwali, make it a cost-effective, leaving you debt-free, happy and eco-friendly.

Always remember that your Diwali celebration should not be a reason for discomfort to others.

Thus, celebrate this festival of lights with happiness and joy. Stay Safe and always spread happiness and light.

We at Wellnessworks would like to wish you and your family a Happy and Safe Diwali!

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