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If you\u2019re going to be hosting a fireworks display or bonfire celebration, you must consider the health and safety risks to ensure everyone is kept safe. This applies to fireworks or bonfires for Bonfire Night, Diwali, New Year\u2019s Eve and Chinese New Year, as well as celebrations such as a wedding or birthday, or for a larger event run by a business. You must know how to control and handle fireworks and bonfires in these situations as both can cause serious injuries to attendees if they aren\u2019t managed properly and safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use the contents below to jump to a certain section of this article.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/p> <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are going to be setting off fireworks or lighting a bonfire, it is crucial that you consider the risks involved and follow safety guidelines. Both fireworks and bonfires can be very dangerous if not properly controlled. An estimated<\/strong> 3,600 people were hospitalised with fireworks injuries over the Halloween and Bonfire months between 2015 and 2019 in the UK.<\/strong> Many more incidents required the emergency services to be called out, including the fire brigade. If you are going to be responsible for fireworks or a bonfire, it\u2019s important that you fully understand how to do so safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p> If you are going to light a bonfire, you can find out more about the rules and regulations in our Burning Rubbish: What are the Rules and Regulations?<\/a> article.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n You should always follow these 10 simple steps when setting off fireworks. This will ensure the safety of the person lighting the fireworks, those watching the display and neighbours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n<\/p> Back to Top<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n Remember that fireworks are explosives and must be handled correctly to ensure the safety of everyone nearby. Many accidents happened during the four weeks surrounding Bonfire Night and, on average, almost half of all firework injuries happen to children under the age of 16. Most of these injuries happen as a result of the unsafe handling of fireworks and a lack of safety precautions. By considering what control measures will be needed at your event and implementing them, you\u2019ll keep yourself and your guests safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To help you to identify and control the hazards posed by hosting a fireworks display or bonfire, you should carry out a risk assessment in advance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can achieve this by following the firework code<\/strong> and general safety tips <\/strong>that we have listed throughout this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure you tell people what precautions you have put in place and how it affects them. This should include explaining the fire safety measures that are in place to prevent accidents and ensuring that everyone understands what to do to follow them. Most importantly, make sure there is adult supervision for children at all times.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Observe whether anyone is still at risk. Your measures and instruction may not be sufficient if people are still able to put themselves in harm\u2019s way. For example, standing too close to fireworks being set off or not wearing safety gear.<\/p><\/p> <\/p>Back to Top<\/em><\/a>\n\n\n\n In addition to following the firework code, you should keep in mind the following general safety tips when hosting an event:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your display will likely consist of more than fireworks. If you\u2019ve also got sparklers and a bonfire, you must consider how to manage the risks these pose. Follow these safety tips for ensuring people handle sparklers safely and that bonfires do not get out of control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n<\/p> Back to Top<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n To ensure that all these activities are carried out safely, you should have the following to hand:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, make sure to cover as many parts of your skin as possible, just in case.<\/p><\/p> <\/p>Back to Top<\/em><\/a>\n\n\n\n After your fireworks or bonfire event, you must ensure that you dispose of any materials used correctly. Failure to do so could result in further risks. You should safely dispose of what you can on the day of the event. It can be difficult to gather all waste materials at night, and so someone must check the area first thing the following morning in daylight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You should safely dispose of all fireworks after your display – including spent (those which have been used and weren\u2019t misfired or partly \u2018spent\u2019), damaged, partly spent, misfired, and any that are unused. To do so, you should collect fully spent fireworks into a refuse bin. Any misfired, partly spent, or unused fireworks must be fully submerged in a bucket of water for several hours, or long enough to soak the firework the whole way through. Doing so will render the firework non-explosive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once this process is complete, Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service advise that you may be able to dispose of the fireworks by placing them inside a plastic bag and putting this in your domestic waste. However, you are advised to check the manufacturers\u2019 instructions about disposal that come with the fireworks, or to contact them on the supplier for further information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You should put out bonfires by pouring water on them, even if there aren\u2019t any flames. This ensures that the fire has been extinguished completely and that the embers won\u2019t reignite when the fire is left unattended. Once plenty of water has been poured on the bonfire and you are certain that it has been extinguished, you can leave it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned, you must extinguish sparklers in a bucket of cold water immediately after use. This is because they will still be very hot and can cause burns if people come into contact with them. Once they have fully cooled, you can then dispose of sparklers in your general waste.<\/p>\n\n\n \n<\/p> Back to Top<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n It\u2019s worth mentioning that most local councils and fire and rescue services, such as the London Fire Brigade, strongly discourage setting off fireworks or having bonfires in private gardens. This is because they can be incredibly dangerous and a health and safety risk to those involved and nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of setting off fireworks or having a bonfire to celebrate the occasion, you may want to consider alternative events. For example, you could:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back to Top<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n If you\u2019re going to be setting off fireworks or having a bonfire, you must assess the risks involved and put the necessary health and safety precautions in place, including those that have been explained here. This will ensure that you can safely hold an event that is enjoyable for everyone and is memorable for the right reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bonfire night is approaching! Read our bonfire night safety tips for advice on staying safe, including bonfire guidance and the firework code.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":35449,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[90],"class_list":["post-280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-safety","tag-fire-safety"],"acf":{"schema_disabled":false,"schema_properties_FAQPage_question_answer":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_tools":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_supplies":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_steps":null,"schema_properties_WebPage_cssSelector":null,"schema_sameAs_repeater":null,"schema_custom_json_repeater":null,"schema_custom_json_override":false},"yoast_head":"\n
\n\n\n\nWhat are the Safety Rules for Fireworks and Bonfires?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Follow the Firework Code<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Firework](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Fireworks-edit.jpg\")
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\n\n\n\nHow to Conduct a Bonfire or Fireworks Risk Assessment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1 \u2013 Identify the fire hazards, e.g.:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Step 2 \u2013 Identify the people at risk, e.g.:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Step 3 \u2013 Evaluate the risks and decide how to remove or reduce them.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Step 4 \u2013 Inform people of the preventative measures.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Step 5 \u2013 Review to make sure your preventative methods are working.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nBonfire Night Safety Tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Bonfire\"](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/bonfire-edit.jpg\")
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\n\n\n\nSafety Tips for Sparklers and Bonfires<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sparklers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Bonfires<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nHow to Dispose of Fireworks, Bonfires, and Sparklers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Fireworks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bonfires<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sparklers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Sparkler-edit.jpg\")
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\n\n\n\nAlternatives to Bonfire and Fireworks for Bonfire Night<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nFurther Resources:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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