With Bonfire Night celebrations planned over the weekend, the Isle of Wight Council has some tips and guidance for event organisers and residents to stay safe.
Deputy leader and Cabinet lead for community safety, Cllr Ian Stephens, said,
“We are all looking forward to events this weekend, whether at home or organised, after missing organised displays due to Covid-19 last year.
“It’s more important than ever to make sure we enjoy them safely and prevent incidents at a time when our emergency health service is already extremely busy.
“I would encourage residents to attend organised events where possible, but if you are holding your own event in your garden, please make safety your biggest concern.”
Top tips for a safe Bonfire Night
- In order to safely dispose of fireworks this firework night, please soak spent fireworks in water, double wrap them in a plastic bag and pop them in your black bin or gull sack.
- If fireworks are unused, please soak them for a minimum of 48 hours.
- Firework sounds can be distressing for animals. Try to keep them inside and preferably in a room with sound from television or radio to mask the firework sounds.
- Keep kids safe. Talk to your children about how fireworks can be beautiful but can also be dangerous. For example, sparklers get five times hotter than cooking oil. NEVER give a sparkler to a child under five.
If you or anyone gets into difficulty and your clothing catches fire, remember: STOP, DROP and ROLL.
If your clothes catch fire, running around won’t help. You must always stop, drop to the ground (cover your face with your hands) and roll over and over. Make sure you roll over a few times, to ensure that you put the fire out.
Covid Safety
If you’re celebrating with friends or family this year, remember that meeting outdoors is safer. If you do meet indoors, make sure to let fresh air in.
Fresh air is so important as it helps dilute Covid-19 particles and can blow them away.
The more fresh air you let into your home or other enclosed spaces, the less likely a person is to inhale infectious particles. Opening your windows for just ten minutes, or a small amount of time continuously where you can, makes a significant difference.
Don’t forget to take a rapid response LFT test before and after any celebration or event to check you’re not spreading Covid-19 amongst your loved ones without knowing.
Always follow the firework code
– Stand well back
– Keep pets indoors
– Keep fireworks in a closed box
– Only buy fireworks that are CE marked
– 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
Organising a firework display safely
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has made available guidance to help organise a firework display safely and includes useful tips on what to do before, during and after the event.
The HSE website also offers advice for those storing and selling fireworks and a free copy of their leaflet is available for download.
You can find the guidance at the following links:
- https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/fireworks/using.htm
- https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/fireworks/industry.htm
- https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg407.htm
If you’re planning your own firework display at home, please make sure to check the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service’s website for guidance.
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
Image: Zuza Galczynska under CC BY 2.0
