Looking to enjoy fireworks this coming holiday period? With many people organising their own displays throughout the year alongside those attending larger public displays, safety is always a top concern. Fireworks can be very dangerous, so having them at home from your garden needs to follow safety standards to ensure you can enjoy them safely and without issue. To help, here is a short guide on safety advice and how to dispose of fireworks correctly.
Use Reputable Sellers
There are many vendors that sell fireworks, but some are more legitimate than others. It is always recommended to ensure that when you
buy fireworks online to use a reputable seller. This way, you can ensure that they have been manufactured to the highest quality standards and that you will also be paying a fair price. You can only legally purchase fireworks from registered sellers, and you should look for the CE or UKCA mark that confirms they are safe to use. The type of fireworks you can buy for private use range from category 1 to 3, with category 4 only for professional display use.
Setup Fireworks at a Safe Distance
Maintaining a safe distance is of vital importance when using fireworks at home. Follow the included instructions carefully and always light them at arm’s length. The direction they are placed needs to be pointing away from those viewing, to ensure any rockets fire upwards and not towards people. If you cannot maintain a safe distance in the outdoor space you are using for setting up fireworks, you should not proceed. Once you have ignited a firework at a safe distance, you should not return to it, even if it hasn’t exploded or seems to have gone out.
Have a Bucket of Water Ready
Having a bucket of water nearby, ideally in a metal container rather than plastic, will ensure you have a safe place to put out any used sparklers or unused fireworks. If after you have used fireworks you have any you don’t intend to use and want to dispose of, you should submerge them in water for at least 15 minutes, longer if possible. This will ensure they are fully saturated and ready to dispose of, so they cannot be ignited. Any firework debris should also be put into the water once it is safe to do so. Once your display is over, you can use the water to ensure anything such as a small bonfire is put out fully. Having water nearby will also ensure you can quickly access this in case of an emergency.
Never Use Indoors
Fireworks should always be used outside and never lit indoors before being placed in the ground at a safe distance. Most rockets are designed to shoot high into the air before exploding, so use indoors does not provide the necessary space and comes with many hazards such as flammable materials. If you do not have outdoor space necessary for firework use, you should not plan to use fireworks and instead attend a publicly available display. Keeping safety first is the most important factor as well as ensuring the best way to enjoy fireworks and sparklers without incident.
