Bonfire Night:Risks with Fireworks

SparkMagazine
Nov 4 · 4 min read

EVERY year, as bonfire night approaches, Britons are warned about the dangers of fireworks and accidental conflagrations. So why are health and safety issues on bonfire night getting more and more important?

The Night of Bonfire is also known as Guy Fawkes Night, a traditional British holiday that takes place every November 5th. It is a historical event to commemorate the “plot of gunpowder.” Every year at this time, all over the UK will ignite bonfires and fireworks at night. The British also call this night the most beautiful night in their country.

As one of the most representative activities in the UK, Bonfire Night is surrounded by more than just fireworks and performances. More often, people are more concerned about the health and safety issues of the Night of Bonfire. Not only may there be a large number of people participating in the day, but there may be children present, and their safety needs special attention.

Family Firework.

Safety Statistics on Fireworks

  • According to NHS statistics, NHS A&E services attended 4,436 firework injuries in 2017/18.
  • According to the UK Fire Service, over the past five years over 350 pre-school children, some only a year old, were treated in hospital for fireworks injuries.
  • According to RoSPA, injury figures support the advice that far fewer people are injured at public displays than at smaller family or private parties.
  • According to Gov.uk, around half of all firework injuries happen to children under the age of 16.
Children are usually the happiest people on a bonfire night.

Firework injury

Despite taking precautions, there are still many firework injuries across the country every year. Including:

Due to the practice of burning Guy Fawkes Crafts , setting up bonfires and setting off fireworks, the above-mentioned dangerous situation is usually very high, especially in windy weather. A little spark star can easily cause burns. At the same time, a large number of fireworks can easily cause symptoms such as tinnitus and dizziness.

the practice of burning Guy Fawkes Crafts

For other special people, Bonfire Night has other risks that threaten its health. For example, asthma, rhinitis and allergies caused by a lot of smoke, when the fireworks explode, loud sounds cause heart disease and high blood pressure, some dangers are more deadly for the elderly.

These dangers are always present, especially for children, so how to protect is very important. So how do you guarantee the health and safety of you and your family on a bonfire night?

To ensure that all these activities are carried out safely, you should have on hand:

  • A torch.
  • Buckets of water (for extinguishing sparklers or for emergencies).
  • Buckets of sand.
  • A hose (hooked up to a water source).
  • Eye protection.
  • Gloves.
  • A bucket of soft earth to put the fireworks in.
  • Suitable supports and launchers, e.g. for Catherine wheels.

Furthermore, make sure to cover as many parts of your skin as possible, just in case.

Large-scale fireworks displays may also pose more dangers.

General Bonfire Night Safety Tips

  • Children should be supervised at all times.
  • Only one person should be in charge of setting off fireworks.
  • Do not drink alcohol if you are in charge of setting off fireworks or tending to a bonfire.
  • Guests should always be kept at a safe distance.
  • Avoid attending fireworks/bonfire displays outdoors if you have heart problems, asthma, or bronchitis.
  • Keep pets indoors.
  • Do not set off fireworks after midnight on bonfire night.
  • Learn how to treat minor burns, just in case.
Children playing with small fireworks.

Have a great fireworks display!

SparkMagazine2019

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SparkMagazine2019

All about Bonfire night Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sparkmagazine2019/?igshid=1p30b4uzodfok Twitter:https://twitter.com/SparkMagazine2

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