Fireworks and the 9-Second Rule
Andrew Wirtanen / Consumer Products / Human Factors / User Research
If a firework doesn’t explode, how long would you wait before checking it?
According to research presented at HFES ’98, you would probably wait 9 seconds. The researchers ran a study with 30 participants and concluded that 95% of people would wait 9 seconds before approaching a firework they thought was a dud. The research was funded by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the results changed the old fuse burn time regulation for fireworks from 3-6 seconds to 3-9 seconds (PDF Link – Fuse burn time amendment). With a 3-9 second fuse burn time, manufacturers can produce safer fireworks that are less likely to short fuse (i.e., explode before 3 seconds).
So, this 4th of July weekend, if you happen to be around fireworks, expect them to explode between 3-9 seconds.
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Rebecca
I was also wondering how long is too long to “save a firework for later.” Our family contemplated saving money and buying fireworks for next year at 50% off, but are there safety issues there? Will they become duds and render the savings useless? Will they explode in our shed and render the shed useless? Those are a few more safety points I’m interested in.
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