Bonfire nights – Safety Tips

Guy Fawkes night is soon upon us. It a great time for the family to go out and have some fun together. However, as always care needs to be taken.

As much as it is fun on bonfire night, risks are always present. Last year:

A reported 990 injuries were caused in October and November due to fireworks.

·         Over 490 of those were children.

·         Over 470 people needed hospital treatment from burns or other related causes.

·         Over 120 of these injuries happened at public displays.

Shockingly, of the 990 injuries from last year, over 280 people endured eye injuries.

Some interesting facts for Bonfire night:

·         It was illegal to celebrate bonfire night before 1959!

·         Some fireworks can travel up to speeds of 150mph!

·         If you burn 3 sparklers and put them together, the combined heat will be equal to that of a blow torch used for joining metal.

·         It is a criminal offense if you throw a firework. You could be heavily fined for doing so.

Some tips to consider for fire safety when using fireworks:

·         At all times an adult should be present to overlook and supervise.

·         Ensure that there are no flammable materials near any fireworks.

·         Layout your fireworks while it’s standing on its bottom.

·         Warn people before you light any fireworks and keep a clear distance from the fireworks.

·         Once the fireworks have been lit, make sure no one is in the area of the fireworks.

·         After your fireworks have been fired into the air, place them into a bucket of water.

·         At the end of the night put the wet fireworks into a bin bag.

·         After taking all the above into consideration, the most important tip is to have fun.