Safety Check List

KEEP SPARKLERS IN SAFE HANDS.

SPARKLERS INJURED MORE PEOPLE THAN ANY OTHER FIREWORKS IN 1997.

MANY OF THE VICTIMS WERE CHILDREN UNDER FIVE.

Follow our easy checklist to keep your child safe this year

Before the display

• Check the fireworks you buy are suitable for the size of garden and conform to British Standards (BS 7114; 1988)
• Ensure your display area is free from hazards
  
• Do not tamper with firework
• Read the instructions in daylight
• Warn neigbours, especially the elderly and those with animals, about your display
• One person - clearly identified - should be responsible for fireworks

Things you will need on the night

• Metal box, with a lid for storage
• Torch for checking instructions
• Bucket of water
• Protective hat, eye protection and gloves
• First Aid kit
• Bucket of soft earth to stick fireworks in
• A board for flat bottomed fireworks
• Suitable supports for catherine wheels
• Proper launchers for rockets

During the display

• Light fireworks at arm's length with a taper
• Stand well back
• Never go back to a lit firework
• Keep storage box closed between use
• Keep children under control

After the display

• Use tongs or gloves to collect spent fireworks
• Next morning check again and remove firework debris

Sparklers

• Unsuitable for children under five
• Light one at a time
• Hold at arm's length
• Wear gloves when holding sparklers
• Put used sparklers hot end down into a bucket of sand or water

Bonfires

• Organise properly
• Should be at least 18 metres (60 feet) away from houses, trees, hedges, fences or sheds
• Before lighting, check for animals and children
• Use domestic firelighters
• Never use petrol, paraffin or other flammable liquids
• Never put used fireworks, aerosols, foam-filled furniture, batteries, tins of paint or tyres on a bonfire

Extracts taken from DTI leaflet

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