THE FIREWORK CODE

If you are thinking of using fireworks as part of your celebrations, please follow the safety advice below.
​Having fireworks at home can be great fun as long as they are used safely. Figures have shown that more children than adults get hurt by fireworks.

​Fireworks are safe if you use them properly. If you are putting on a home display you should follow some simple steps to make sure that everyone has a good time without getting hurt.

 ALWAYS FOLLOW THE FIREWORK CODE

​​- Stand well back Keep pets indoors
- ​Keep fireworks in a closed box
- Only buy fireworks marked BS 7114
- Light at arm's length, using a taper
​- Follow the instructions on each firework
- Never give sparklers to a child under five
- Don't drink alcohol if setting off fireworks
- Always supervise children around fireworks
- Light sparklers one at a time and wear gloves
- Never put fireworks in your pocket or throw them
- Never go near a firework that has been lit - even if it hasn't gone off it could still explode

KEEP CHILDREN SAFE

​We want children to enjoy fireworks but they need to know that they can be dangerous if they are not used properly. Each year over half of all firework injuries are suffered by children. The Child Accident Prevention Trust and Direct.gov have more guidance on keeping kids safe.

​Did you know that sparklers get five times hotter than cooking oil? They should never be given to a child under five. Take care with Sparklers, always supervise children with sparklers, teach them to hold at arms length, Sparklers are not for under 5s. They will be labelled as such and it is your responsibility. Finally, have a container of water handy, bug enough for the spent sparklers. Dump the sparkler in it as soon as goes out.

WHERE TO BUY FIREWORKS

Don't cut corners just to save a few pounds. Always buy fireworks from a reputable shop to make sure that they conform to British Standards. This means that they should have BS 7114 written on the box.
​Sometimes shops open up for a short time before Bonfire Night but these may not be the best places to buy fireworks from. Staff in these shops might not be very knowledgeable about using fireworks safely and their fireworks might not meet British Standards.
Don't buy fireworks from anywhere you're not sure about, such as the back of a van or from a temporary, unlicensed market stall.

WHAT FIREWORKS TO BUY

There are different categories of fireworks. Members of the public can buy and set off most of the fireworks that come under Categories 1 to 3. These are fireworks that include those that you can use indoors, in your garden or at a display. Always read the packet carefully and make sure that the fireworks you buy are suitable for the place where you are going to set them off.Some fireworks can only be bought and used by firework professionals. These include air bombs, aerial shells, aerial maroons, shells-in-mortar and maroons-in-mortar, all bangers, mini rockets, fireworks with erratic flight, some Category 2 and 3 fireworks which exceed certain size limits, and all Category 4 fireworks.

FIREWORKS AND THE LAW

There are laws about when fireworks can be sold, and to who - as well as the times fireworks can be set off.If you are under 18 years of age. If you are under 18, you can't:buy the types of fireworks which can be sold only to adults. Using fireworks legally, is against the law to:set off or throw fireworks in the street or other public place set off fireworks between 11.00 pm and 7.00 am - except during certain celebrations.

When you can use fireworks: You can let off fireworks :until midnight on Bonfire Night until 1.00 am on New Year's Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year!