RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

October 12, 2007
NEW WEBSITE TO MAKE FIREWORK CELEBRATIONS SAFER

With fireworks officially going on sale on Monday (Oct 15), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has launched a new website to help people enjoy them safely.

RoSPA’s www.saferfireworks.com has all the information people need to make sure their firework parties are fun rather than fraught with danger.

But if anyone does have an accident, or is the victim of people using fireworks irresponsibly, they are invited to tell their story through the site so that others can learn from what went wrong.

Errol Taylor, RoSPA Deputy Chief Executive, said: “Big public displays are not available to everyone and some families have to have their fireworks at home. We hope this website will contribute towards making celebrations safer and more enjoyable.”

As well as the Firework Code, the site includes a guide on how to organise a display and how to deal with specific types of fireworks from rockets to Catherine Wheels.

The law on fireworks and the penalties for breaching it are detailed – there are different regulations in Northern Ireland where Halloween is celebrated and there is a licensing scheme in place. There are also sections on first aid for burns and caring for pets.

Figures for 2005 showed that about 1070 people in the UK went to hospital after a firework injury with about 180 being admitted for treatment – the average length of stay was three days.

Half of firework injuries involve people under the age of 18 who should not be getting their hands on fireworks, as it is illegal for under-18s to even carry fireworks in a public place. There are still concerns about irresponsible traders and adults selling or passing fireworks on to children. About a quarter of accidents happen in places such as the street where fireworks should not be let off, showing that far too many people fool around with them.

“People should not be tempted to buy from street traders or people at car boot sales who could be selling dangerous fireworks,” Errol Taylor said. “If you want to enjoy fireworks whether for Halloween, Bonfire Night, Diwali, Chinese New Year or New Year, www.saferfireworks.com is the place to start.”