Fire Safety Advice when using Fireworks

Home Firework Displays: A Warning

Fireworks are great fun and very beautiful, but don't be fooled. Remember fireworks are explosives and can cause serious injury or death. Every year as many as 500 people are injured as a result of using or playing with fireworks and many more are burned using sparklers. Our advice this year is, as always, if you wish to see fireworks, go to a professionally organised display and leave it to the experts. Displays at home carry a far greater risk and are nowhere near as spectacular.

Fireworks: A Message To Retailers

If you sell fireworks you must comply with the law. It is an offence under the Explosives Act 1875 ,as amended by the Explosives (Age of Purchase etc) Act 1976 and the Consumer Protection Act 1987:

• To keep fireworks (except for private use) on premises which have not been registered with the local authority for that purpose
• To sell fireworks to persons apparently under 18 years of age
• To throw or discharge a firework in a street or public place.

The maximum penalty for selling fireworks to persons apparently under the age of 18 is £2000.

The local authority will be working closely with Trading Standards to ensure compliance with these regulations.

For more information on your responsibilities visit the Department of Trade and Industry website.

If you are organising a public display visit the website of the Department for Communities and Local Government for information and advice on your responsiilities.