10 Tips for Staying Safe with Fireworks

Hosting your own fireworks display on special occasions can help you create many amazing memories with your family and friends. However, fireworks can be dangerous if used incorrectly, so it’s important to do your research before planning your fireworks display. To help you stay safe and have a fantastic evening, here are ten of the most important fireworks safety tips for you to remember.

1 - Buy high-quality fireworks

Don’t try to tamper with fireworks or make your own, as this could be dangerous. Instead, you should always buy high-quality fireworks from a reputable retailer. To find a fireworks shop near you, you can just Google ‘fireworks shop chatham’, for example, to get started.

2 - Read the instructions

Your new fireworks will come with important safety information. Make sure you read the instructions and warnings carefully before you start arranging your fireworks display.

3 - Wear suitable clothing

When you’re lighting fireworks, you need to wear suitable clothing so you don’t burn yourself. Gloves, goggles and ear plugs are essential for protecting your hands, eyes and ears, and you should avoid loose clothing as it’s more likely to dangle and catch fire.

4 - Mark out a safe area for your guests

The safety information that comes with your new fireworks should tell you how far away your guests should stand while you’re lighting fireworks. To keep everyone safe, you should mark out a viewing area in your garden where everyone can stand. This will also make it easier for you to see when someone’s too close, allowing you to halt the display if needed.

5 - Don’t point fireworks at people

This may be an obvious tip, but it deserves a spot on this list as it’s so important. Fireworks should never be pointed towards someone as this could cause serious injuries. You should angle your fireworks away from people and objects.

6 - Only one person should light the fireworks

During the fireworks display, only one adult (who hasn’t consumed any alcohol) should be lighting the fireworks. This will prevent confusion and stop people from approaching fireworks that have already been lit.

7 - One firework at a time

Additionally, the person lighting the fireworks should only light them one at a time to allow them to quickly retreat to a safe distance after each firework.

8 - Dispose of fireworks safely

Spent fireworks are still dangerous to handle, so you should pick them up with gloves and submerge them in a large bucket of water. Ideally, the fireworks should be left in the water overnight.

9 - Don’t relight duds

Duds (fireworks that don’t go off after being lit) are especially dangerous as they could still go off later than expected. For this reason, you shouldn’t immediately approach a dud and try to relight it, as it could explode while you’re still near it.

10 - Dispose of duds safely

You should wait for 20 minutes before approaching a dud firework. Then, to dispose of it safely, submerge it in the bucket of water along with the other fireworks and leave it overnight.

There are a lot of safety tips to learn when you’re hosting a fireworks display, but these are some of the most important ones. Make sure you do your research so you can have a brilliant evening with your family and friends.