UK Fireworks Safety Website

Keep sparklers in safe hands

Sparklers, like other fireworks, must be used with care. They can get 6 times as hot as a pan of cooking oil and sparkler injuries have been on the increase. It makes sense to keep sparklers in safe hands.

Safety with sparklers

• Store sparklers and other fireworks in a closed box in a cool, dry place.
• Always light sparklers one at a time and wear gloves.
• Never hold a baby or child if you have a sparkler in your hand.
• Plunge finished sparklers hot end down into a bucket of water as soon as they have burnt out. They can stay hot for a long time.
• Don’t take sparklers to public displays. It will be too crowded to use them safely.

Children and sparklers

• Never give sparklers to the under 5s – they will not understand how to use them safely.
• Always supervise children using sparklers.
• Give children gloves to wear when holding sparklers.
• Avoid dressing children in loose or flowing clothes – they may catch light.
• Show children how to hold sparklers – away from their body and at arm’s length.
• Teach children not to wave sparklers near anyone else or run while holding them.

In an emergency

• Cool the burn or scald with cold water for at least 10 minutes.
• Cut around material sticking to the skin – don’t pull it off.
• Don’t touch the burn or burst any blisters.
• Cover the burn with clean, non-fluffy material – cling film is ideal – to prevent infection.
• If clothing catches fire, get the person to stop, drop to the floor and roll them in heavy material like a curtain.
• Get advice from your doctor or accident and emergency department at your local hospital.