Attending an organised bonfire and fireworks display is always the safest way of celebrating Bonfire Night, as there are safe places to watch the displays, the fireworks are set off by trained people and the emergency services are close-by if needed.
If you are having your own display at home, www.gov.uk has some important firework safety tips on their website.
ALWAYS FOLLOW THE FIREWORK CODE
- Stand well back
– Keep fireworks in a closed box
– Only buy fireworks marked BS 7114
– 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
As well as these safety tips, make sure you never set off any fireworks in your home or from out of your windows. Not only is this extremely dangerous, it’s also a severe breach of your tenancy agreement and something we would take the strongest possible action against.
Unfortunately, there is an increase in the number of deliberate fires and anti-social behaviour involving fireworks around this time.
Help us to reduce this by:
- not leaving your wheelie bins out overnight. If you have a collection over the next few days, put them out in the morning and bring them back in once they’ve been emptied
- making sure children are aware of fire and firework safety. Keep fireworks out of their reach only using fireworks on private property (like back gardens) and never setting them off in the street or in a public place (unless part of a licenced organised event)
- keeping your garden and/or street areas free of loose rubbish that could be a fire risk
- letting your neighbours know if you are having a firework display, particularly those who are older, more vulnerable, have young children or pets that might be afraid of fireworks
- only letting off fireworks between 7pm to midnight
Reporting a concern
We hope everybody who is celebrating Bonfire Night has a great and safe time. But if you’re having any concerns regarding anti-social behaviour, please let us know. Details about how to do this are on our anti-social behaviour pages.
And if it’s a genuine emergency where you or your home is at immediate risk call 999. For non-emergencies, call 101.
