UAB Briefs: Free July 4 show by Summer Band, fireworks safety tips

Welcome to another installment of UAB Briefs after a two-week summer break.

In this weekly online feature, we keep track of interesting people and events on campus.

Know people, places and programs on the UAB campus that deserve a mention?

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Strike up the band

The UAB Summer Band will present a free outdoor concert of popular and traditional patriotic music on the Campus Green between The Commons dining facility and Blazer Hall on Tuesday, July 4, at 7 p.m., according to a UAB news release.

And after the concert – presented by the UAB Department of Music – attendees can enjoy their view of the Thunder on the Mountain fireworks show at 9 p.m.

Audience members are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets and picnics.

The Summer Band, conducted by new UAB Director of Bands Sean Murray, will offer selections by such composers as Gershwin, Fillmore and Sousa.

And in its grand finale, the band will give an audience member the chance to conduct the band playing “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

The band has about 80 members, including UAB faculty, students and alumni, as well as local professional and amateur musicians.

The traditional location for this event, the lawn in front of Bartow Arena, is under construction, hence the temporary change in venue.

Fireworks are dangerous

People love July 4 fireworks, but fireworks were involved in an estimated 10,500 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments in 2014, according to a report by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

And nearly 400 people lose sight in one or both eyes due to fireworks injuries every year.

“I’ve seen too many injuries related to fireworks, and many of these occur in children and innocent bystanders, and result in permanent vision loss,” said Dr. Priscilla Fowler of the UAB Department of Ophthalmology.

In fact, UAB doctors recommend that people avoid fireworks except for those displayed at professional shows, such as Birmingham’s Thunder on the Mountain.

However, the ophthalmologists at UAB Callahan Eye Hospital know that many people will use them anyway.

So they recommend the following safety tips—

--Always use adult supervision. Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks.

--Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.

--Never use bottle rockets.

--Read and follow all manufacturers’ warnings and instructions.

--Keep a source of water close by in case of fire or another mishap.

--Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before using them.

--Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.

--Never throw fireworks at another person.

--Shoot fireworks on a clean, flat surface away from the house or flammable materials.

If an eye injury from fireworks does occur, remember the following:

--Seek medical attention immediately.

--Do not rub your eyes.

--Do not rinse your eyes.

--Do not apply pressure.

--Do not remove any objects that are stuck in the eye.

--Do not apply ointments or take any blood-thinning pain medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen.

Don't love the sun

People love to get lots of sun during the summer, but skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And this common cancer can be deadly. “If undetected or untreated, skin cancers lead to loss of vital functions or death,” said Dr. C. Blake Phillips of the UAB Department of Dermatology in a news release.

Most skin cancers are the result of exposure to radiation from the sun or other sources, doctors say.

So how do you protect your skin?

The most important aspect of protecting your skin is to avoid UV radiation exposure from the sun.

“I recommend sunscreen with an SPF value of 30 or higher every day to exposed areas,” Phillips said. “Look for products that don’t feel greasy and block both UVA and UVB.”

Wear protective clothing and wide-brimmed hats with sunglasses when out in the sun. Avoid peak sun hours of the day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., choosing to do outdoor activities in morning or evening hours.

“Avoid indoor tanning, and choose pigmented lotion, spray tan or no tan instead,” Phillips said.