Fireworks - Remember, Remember…
Last year saw a reduction in the number of firework related accidents in the four week period in October and November. But the South East region had the second worst record in Britain with 131 injuries.
Thankfully, the majority of the accidents were minor and there were no reported fatalities. Across the country 990 people still had to seek medical help by attending accident and emergency departments of hospitals, local health centres or GP surgeries.
Further analysis reveals that 18 year olds, and under, are most at risk. The majority of the injuries occur at private or family parties and in the street. The firework type to cause the most damage are rockets followed by air-bombs/Roman Candles and sparklers.
“Too many people still end up being hurt and sometimes scarred for life at this time of year,” points out Councillor Mrs Pam Doodes, Cabinet Member for Health and Public Safety at Wealden District Council, and Chair of the Safer Wealden Partnership. “Bonfire night is supposed to be an enjoyable time and I would ask everyone to take that little bit more care and follow the Firework Safety Code.”
Here are some points the Council and the Safer Wealden Partnership would like people to remember at this time:
Firstly, pet owners and people setting off fireworks should not forget how frightening the bangs, noises and flashes can be to animals. Fireworks can cause distress and may cause pets to run away. The advice from the Council’s Animal Welfare Officer is to keep your dogs on a lead when exercising them and to keep your cat indoors on Fireworks Night, and on other nights at this time of year when fireworks are being enjoyed. The same goes for pets kept in hutches, like rabbits and guinea pigs. They too can be extremely frightened and steps should be taken to protect them. Horses and other livestock are also easily frightened by noisy fireworks and you should remember to tell your neighbours if you are planning a fireworks display, so that they can take precautions to protect their pets or other livestock.
Secondly, there have been recent changes in the law to improve safety and reduce anti-social behaviour. Parents and young people should be aware of these to avoid getting into trouble with the Police. These changes now make it an offence for anyone under 18 to possess a firework in a public place. There is a curfew on firework use between 11pm and 7am with the exception of certain nights, including November 5, when the time is extended from 11pm to midnight and on New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali when the time is extended to 1am. It is also an offence to sell a firework to anyone under 18; and it is an offence to let fireworks off in a public place.
Chief Inspector Neil Honnor, Wealden’s Divisional Commander for Sussex Police said: “Wherever possible we encourage people to go to organised events where they can enjoy firework displays in safety, and avoid personal use. To ensure that fireworks are sold and used responsibly, we have planned a series of operations to enforce the relevant legislation, which includes overt patrols and covert tactics. We will also be actively enforcing regulations in relation to the anti-social use of fireworks.”
Leaflets about organising safe and successful firework displays are available from Wealden District Council - telephone 01323 443302.
