While many people enjoy their use on special occasions I know others do not like them. Fireworks can of course be very dangerous and I am glad the use and sale of them is controlled. Events where fireworks are used should be well planned and safety should be paramount.
Firework regulations allow fireworks for home use to be sold during the traditional firework periods of Bonfire Night, New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali. Suppliers who wish to sell fireworks outside the traditional periods must comply with stringent conditions before being granted a licence by their local licensing authority. This means the availability and use of fireworks outside the traditional periods has been greatly reduced.
The regulations also created a curfew preventing the use of fireworks between 11pm and 7am all year round with the exception of 5 November, when the curfew starts at 12 midnight, and New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali, when the curfew starts at 1am on the night of celebration.
Excessive noise from fireworks, or noise during the curfew period, can be considered a statutory nuisance and local authority environmental health officers have the power to investigate complaints of fireworks noise and act to prevent it where appropriate.
Although there is some use of fireworks outside the traditional periods, the Government believes that the majority of people who use fireworks do so at the appropriate times of year and have a sensible and responsible attitude towards them. While there are no plans at the moment to place further limitations on their use, the Government has announced a new body, the Office for Product Safety and Standards, responsible for collating information and data about the safety of consumer products, including fireworks. This will provide an evidence base and enable Ministers to keep the issue under review.
