How to Let Fireworks Off Safely at Home This Bonfire Night
Bonfire Night is just around the corner and with that comes setting off fireworks at home. This is why we need to talk about firework safety. Not only does it keep you safe, but it keeps everyone else around us safe too.
How to store fireworks
First of all, let's talk about firework storage. Fireworks nee to be stored somewhere cool and dry and they absolutely MUST be kept out of reach of children and animals. They also need to be stored well away from flammable materials and liquids for extra measure.
Fireworks & the law
In addition, there are also some laws that need to be complied with. That includes only selling fireworks to adults who are aged 18 and over and who have ID to verify their age. You should only be buying fireworks if you're of that age, obviously. Also, they cannot be set off or thrown in a public area of any kind and they should NOT be carried by anyone under the age of 18.
How to use fireworks safely
There are loads of different safety tips to follow when it comes to letting fireworks off in the comfort of your own garden. The following precautions need to be made in order to protect yourself, your friends, your family and your house (and other properties in the area):
- Only light sparklers one at a time - do not hold several together and light them together in a bundle
- Children holding sparklers need to be supervised - watch your children if they're holding sparklers, whether lit or otherwise
- Always have a bucket of water or sand handy for sparkler disposal - this is something that needs to be nearby so that you can safely dispose of spent sparklers
- Never throw fireworks or put them in your pocket - this is the same whether they're lit, unlit or spent
- Have a bucket of water on hand should the worst happen - I know we've talked about water for sparklers, but have another bucket on hand for emergencies
- Put the bonfire out or wait for it to completely burn out before going inside - applicable only if you light a bonfire in the garden
How to have a neighbour-friendly Bonfire Night
The first thing you need to do before embarking on a bonfire party is to think about your neighbours. They may be elderly or have small children and pets who will become distressed by fireworks going off in such close proximity.
If this is the case, make sure that you're choosing low-noise fireworks to limit the noise pollution. They give the same impressive visuals only without the huge bangs and pops. If, however, you do choose to let off standard fireworks, then let your neighbours know when the display will be.
Remember also that fireworks should not be let off between the hours of 11pm and 7am, by law. Although, having said that, there are some exceptions to the rule: on Bonfire Night, the cut-off is midnight and on New Year's Eve, the cut off is 1am.
***
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and that you found it somewhat useful for your own bonfire party or firework night. Let me know in the comments if you have any other safety tips for Bonfire Night safety at home and I'll see you again very soon with some brand new content!
***
WHERE TO FIND ME
PREVIOUS BLOG POST
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Comments
Post a Comment