Bonfire night is right up there as one of the most eventful nights of the year. With fireworks lighting the sky and bonfires warming gatherings through, there is a real festive feel around the whole evening.
Unfortunately, it is also one of the busiest nights of the year for the emergency services.
To help you avoid becoming one of the many people that will need emergency treatment this year, we have come up with some safety tips for your bonfire night.
Safety around Fireworks
Tip 1 – It is common sense really, but only light one firework at a time
Tip 2 – Make sure you fully read the instructions before using the fireworks and do not attempt to operate them if you do not understand how to use them.
Tip 3 – Never return to a firework once you have lit it, whether it is working or not. You might think that something has gone wrong if it doesn’t go off straight away, but more often not where things really go wrong is when someone goes back to check and ends up having the dormant firework go off in their face.
Tip 4 – Ensure that all rockets are directed away from spectators for obvious reasons.
Tip 5 – When not using fireworks keep in a secure metal box to ensure that they cannot ignite when in storage and explode unexpectedly.
Bonfire Safety
Tip 1 – Light bonfire in a safe and secure place. Goes without saying that a back garden or a heavily built up area is not the venue for a bonfire.
Tip 2 – Never use petrol or paraffin to light your bonfire as it can flash up and cause horrific burns.
Tip 3 – Make sure after your bonfire has finished that you completely extinguish it so that it cannot continue to burn unattended.
Tip 4 – When lighting your bonfire do so from an arms length. Keeping your distance is a must when dealing with fire.
Safety with Sparklers
Tip 1 – Common sense again, but only light one at a time
Tip 2 – Wear gloves when holding a sparkler
Tip 3 – Under no circumstances hold a sparkler when holding a baby or small child
Tip 4 – Don’t take sparklers too busy, public firework or bonfire displays
Tip 5 – Make sure children with sparklers are supervised at all times
Tip 6 – Avoid wearing loose clothing when around sparklers
Most of the above tips come down to common sense, but you will be surprised how many people do not adhere to these guidelines and when they don’t, things can go horribly wrong and that is when the emergency services are called into action.
The safest bet is to have a look at what events are being put on in your local community and go and watch a supervised display without having to worry about any of the above, apart from sparklers of course.
Image source(s)
1. Pexels; Peter Unden; https://www.pexels.com/photo/fireworks-time-laps-photography-230898/