Don’t be a fool with fireworks on Bonfire Night

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging people in Stone to celebrate safely during Bonfire Night festivities.

The Service is recommending the public play it safe and attend organised events which are subject to stringent health and safety regulations. Stone’s charity bonfire and fireworks event on Westbridge Park takes place on Saturday 7th November.

Community Safety Officers have once again been out and about, visiting schools with Operation Good Guy.  The initiative educates pupils about the dangers of fireworks, via the use of hard-hitting messages and demonstrations. Leaflets featuring tips are also being distributed to shops across Staffordshire, while eye-catching posters will be on display in social clubs, community centres and other facilities.

[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]Director of Prevent and Protect, Glynn Luznyj, said: “We want everyone to be able to enjoy Bonfire Night, but urge people to stay safe by following The Firework Code and attending well-organised displays. Children should always be supervised when handling sparklers, as they are the cause of many injuries.  A sparkler burns at a temperature over fifteen times the boiling point of water, and three sparklers burning together can generate the same heat as a blowtorch.”[/box]

If you do choose to have a private celebration, the Service asks you to remember these bonfire safety tips:

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• If you are having a bonfire, discuss it with your neighbours beforehand
• Don’t build a bonfire too far in advance as it could encourage anti-social behaviour
• Build the bonfire well away from sheds, trees and wooden fences
• Check there are no cables, including telephone wires, above the bonfire
• Ensure there is a suitable barrier around the bonfire to keep spectators at least five metres away
• Always check that no children or animals are hiding in the bonfire before lighting it
• Don’t burn aerosols, batteries, tyres, canisters or anything containing foam or paint, as it may produce toxic fumes, and some canisters may explode, causing injury
• Don’t use petrol, paraffin, diesel, white spirit or methylated spirit to light the bonfire
• Keep some buckets of cold water close by in case of an emergency, as well as to damp down after the event

If you’re going to be using sparklers, remember:

• Light one sparkler at a time
• Supervise children with sparklers, and never give them to anyone under five years old
• Ensure that everyone handling sparklers is wearing gloves
• Hold lit sparklers at arm’s length
• Don’t wave sparklers about when close to other people
• Never hold a baby in your arms when holding a sparkler
• When you have finished with the sparkler, place it in a bucket of cold water

Always follow The Firework Code. In an emergency dial 999. For all other non-emergency enquiries, contact 08451 22 11 55 or log on to www.staffordshirefire.gov.uk or www.direct.gov.uk/firekills

There’s lots more information too on the excellent Bonfire Safety website

If you’d like to see the animated version of this guide please visit Bonfire-Night-Safety.co.uk.If you’d like a free printable version of this cheat sheet to use as a teaching aid, visit the child development resource PDF