The best way to enjoy fireworks is to go to a professionally-led public fireworks display. If you’re looking to throw a fireworks party yourself, however, make sure you store and treat them with strict care and precaution. Fireworks are known to cause thousands of fires and injuries all around the world, not just in the UK, and I bet you didn’t realise that over 9k people every year receive burns and injuries from fireworks every single year.
How To Store Fireworks In A Safe Way:
- Ensure the fireworks are kept well away from your house and from public spaces. Ideally, store them in a locked storage shed at the bottom of your garden. It is essential to keep fireworks dry, so extra insulation may be required to prevent them from becoming damp.
- Do not store your fireworks in self-storage units. Most self-storage companies will advise you that this is against their self-storage policies any way as their insurance may not cover them for explosives.
- If the location you decide to store your fireworks is not damp and does not get humid, then you can store your fireworks in their original packaging with no need for additional protective solutions like storage containers.
- Do not store fireworks near to sources of heat or ignition and keep them well away from flammables like fuel and paint.
- If any small children or animals have access to where you store your fireworks, lock fireworks in a cabinet or other container.
How to Safely Use Fireworks
- You should never allow your kids to handle fireworks and firecrackers. Sparklers also burn at around 2,000 degrees so children should not be left unattended with them, safety gloves are a good idea. Accidents with Sparklers account for more than a quarter of a firework/bonfire night related injuries.
- If you have been drinking alcohol or if you are impaired, don’t use fireworks.
- It’s best to use fireworks outside, away from homes, vehicles and trees, make sure the area you light your fireworks in is clear of objects, so it has a clear pathway to the sky.
- If it’s windy, you’ll need to reschedule your firework display for a better day. Keep an eye on the weather as windy conditions can change the projection of your firework and could cause localised damage if proper precautions are not taken.
- Keep a pale of water handy in case there are any accidents, a hose is also advantageous.
- It would help if you had protective eyewear on when lighting your fireworks to protect your eyes.
- Do not carry fireworks in your pockets as any friction build-up caused by your movements can cause the firework to set off.
- When igniting the fuse, don’t keep fireworks in your hand or put any part of your body over them.
- Never shoot fireworks in containers made of plastic, metal or glass.
- Never throw fireworks at any living being.
- Light a single firework at a time, then swiftly step back. Don’t attempt to relight or treat fireworks or touch any chunks of fireworks that fail to work.
How Long Can Fireworks Be Stored?
Fireworks do not “change,” or become dangerous or unstable when stored in a dry location. We ‘ve seen fireworks that have been in stock for over 50 years acting as though they were made just yesterday. The compounds will not weaken, so long as there is no water in the firework packets or storage containers.
If you are worried about waste, the best solution would be to buy a single ignition barrage – not only are they easier to light a large number of fireworks but they’ll also provide you with a fantastic display with nothing to store afterwards and an easy to dispose of the box.
Can Fireworks Explode Without Being Ignited?
One of the most important things to remember is that for the explosion to happen, all fireworks have to be ignited. That means fireworks simply can not detonate by themselves. The fireworks do not go off in extreme weather, because they have a source of ignition that is exposed to the fuse. Fireworks can, however, explode due to friction which is most commonly caused by consumers putting fireworks in the pocket, which is not a good idea.