Tip of the Month: Fireworks and Bonfire Safety 

Remember, remember, the 5th of November; Gunpowder, treason and plot.

It’s that time of year again where fireworks are readily available to purchase, primarily for Bonfire night on 5th November.

In this country, fireworks are used to celebrate 5th November; the anniversary of Guy Fawkes’ (failed) attempt to blow up Parliament.
 

However, legend has it that the Chinese made the first fireworks in the 800s, filling bamboo shoots with gunpowder and exploding them at New Year with the hope the sound would scare away evil spirits. Fireworks became known in Europe during the 1300s, probably after returning Crusaders brought them back from the East.

Whilst they are often wonderful to observe, hearing the ‘ooh’s’ and ‘aah’s’, according to figures from NHS Digital, there were almost 2,000 occasions of people going to A&E linked to fireworks in 2018/19.

While most of those people be quickly patched up in A&E, over the last five years there have been almost 1,000 hospital admissions relating to the discharge of a firework. Nine out of ten of those cases were male, and injuries were most common amongst millennials – with 20-34-year olds accounting for more than 1/3 hospital spells.

It may surprise you to know that a sparkler can reach a temperature of up to 2,000°C. That’s 20 times the boiling point of water. This is why it is particularly important never to give sparklers to children under 5 and to supervise the over 5s. See our tips further down for helping a child hold on to a sparkler more safely.

Typically, a rocket can reach 150 miles an hour. Not a lot of people can move at that speed to get out of its way should it go rogue! And in terms of distance, a shell fired from a mortar will go as high as 200 metres.

A couple more interesting facts taken from the Guinness Book of Records: The largest ever single firework was a shell which measured one metre across and travelled over 300 metres into the air. It was so big and powerful, it had to be launched from a specially constructed launch pad made of concrete and steel. And the record for the biggest number of rockets ever let off in one go was set in August 2006 when more than 56,000 rockets were launched simultaneously at the National Firework Championships here in England in Plymouth.

These interesting facts were taken from a government publication entitled Fireworks Safety toolkit which is great for guidance if you are planning a fireworks event.

Parents take note – under the provisions of the Fireworks Regulations 2004 it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to possess fireworks in a public place and it is illegal to sell fireworks to the under 18s. Caps, cracker snaps, indoor fireworks, novelty matches, party poppers, serpents and throwdowns must not be supplied to persons under 16.

Here are our top ten firework safety tips and also some sparkler safety tips that we hope you will find helpful:

1. Make sure you buy fireworks from reputable retailers.  All instructions should be in English and fireworks should conform to British standard BS7114, which should be clearly written on the box
2. Consider attending an organised display, like Downend Round Table Fireworks, far fewer people are injured at professional displays
3. Keep fireworks in a closed box and use one at a time
4. Keep naked flames (including cigarettes) away from fireworks
5. Ensure spectators are located sufficiently well back, pay particular attention to the direction of rockets
6. Sparklers cause more injuries than fireworks and get five times hotter than cooking oil.  Sparklers should only be used by the over 5’s, wear gloves when holding them, held at arm’s length when lighting and pop into a bucket of cold water when finished with. Some people like to put the sparkler in a carrot so it is easier for children to grip.
7. Never use an accelerant, petrol or methylated spirits to start bonfires
8. Site bonfires away from shed’s and fences and check the wind direction before lighting
9. Visit ROSPA for more information and some great video clips on firework safety
10. Spare a thought for pets, its’ estimated nearly half the dogs in the UK are scared of fireworks, visit the RSPCA for some great advice on fireworks safety for pets. Where possible, keep pets indoors.

Please also take a moment to view this short video of ours. Sparklers cause significantly more injuries to children than fireworks themselves resulting in a significant number of burns.  A sparkler will burn instantly on contact with skin.

If you going to a Firework/Bonfire event (either private or public), here are a few important points to remember:

• Do not drink alcohol if setting off fireworks or handling sparklers
• Follow the instructions on each firework/sparkler
• Light at arm’s length, using a taper and stand well back.
• Never go near a firework that has been lit. Even if it has not gone off, it could still explode.
• Never put fireworks in your pocket or throw them.
• Always supervise children around fireworks.
• Light sparklers one at a time and wear gloves.

And most of all, enjoy yourselves (safely).