{"id":862,"date":"2015-10-16T10:31:47","date_gmt":"2015-10-16T10:31:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.uk?p=862"},"modified":"2017-01-12T15:17:36","modified_gmt":"2017-01-12T15:17:36","slug":"bonfire-night-our-top-safety-tips-for-your-firework-display","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.uk\/charity\/bonfire-night-our-top-safety-tips-for-your-firework-display\/","title":{"rendered":"Bonfire Night: Our top safety tips for your firework display"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>\u201c<\/strong><strong>Oooh! Ahhh! Weeeee! Oohhh!\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re all familiar with those sounds at this time of year \u2013 yes, fireworks!<\/p>\n<p>Bonfires and fireworks are always exciting and they can be plenty of fun for all ages but they can also be very dangerous if the event is not organised and run properly and safely.\u00a0 As the 5th of November comes around, you should \u2018remember remember\u2019 a few things to ensure everyone stays safe and to make sure that your insurance policy is covering you.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">You should <strong>always\u00a0<\/strong>advise us of your event if you plan to host a firework display, with or without a bonfire.\u00a0 Your policy may not automatically extend to cover your display so if you don\u2019t notify us, it will not be able to respond to any claims you might need to make after the event.<\/p>\n<p>It is also important to understand that ifyou are organising your event in partnership with another organisation, that your insurance alone might not be able to cover all liabilities for the display.\u00a0 This might include a joint display with a local council, or a \u2018Churches Together\u2019 event and in this case, you might require joint insurance.<\/p>\n<p>When you contact us, we\u2019ll ask you to fill in a declaration form advising us of the details of your event and you may then have to pay an additional premium to your insurance company to extend your policy to cover your display.<\/p>\n<p>For now, take the time to glance at our top tips and advice for staying safe while you enjoy your Bonfire night entertainment and firework spectacular.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Check with and inform your local authorities of your event. This includes Fire Brigade, Police and First Aid e.g. St John\u2019s Ambulance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Choose your display area carefully, keeping well clear of buildings, trees and overhead cables.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Clearly mark a safe areas for spectators and also any areas into which they must not enter. You may wish to do this with a rope or a barrier. We suggest that the safe area should be about 50m away from the display.\u00a0 Don\u2019t forget to think about wind direction on the day!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Think about using easily identifiable Stewards for Crowd control. We suggest that you have one steward for every 250 spectators.\u00a0 They should also be in charge of keeping entrance and exit routes clear and obstruction free.\u00a0 They should also know what to do in case of emergency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Only ever buy fireworks marked with \u2018BS7114\u2019. This code means that the fireworks comply with British Standard for Fireworks criteria for \u2018construction, performance, labelling and testing\u2019. You can read more about BS7114 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fireworksafety.co.uk\/bs7114.htm\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It is the job of a responsible adult to light the fireworks and bonfire. This person should be completely free of the effects of alcohol and should only use the taper provided with the fireworks to light them.\u00a0 They should read the manufacturer\u2019s instructions on the packaging of the fireworks and adhere to them closely.\u00a0 Never use a naked flame to read the instructions on the firework\u2019s packaging, always use a battery powered torch.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Never return to a firework once it has been lit, even if it has not yet gone off \u2013 it could still explode.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fireworks should be stored in a closed box well away from any naked flames, especially a bonfire.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The bonfire should be situated well away from the firework display and a safe distance from spectators.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Before lighting, the bonfire should be checked for stability, to make sure that the structure won\u2019t topple over. It should also be checked for dangerous rubbish \u2013 items like paint tins, aerosols and foam should not be burned.\u00a0 You might also want to check for animals such as hedgehogs sheltering in the bonfire.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use firelighters to light the bonfire, never use paraffin, petrol or solvents.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do not leave the site of the fire until it is completely extinguished and safe. Pour water on the embers to ensure the fire is out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you plan to serve food at your event, be sure to familiarise yourself with food hygiene and health and safety guidelines. You can find our top food safety tips <a href=\"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.ukblog\/10-things-you-should-remember-when-serving-food-at-fetes-and-other-events\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>You can also check out the Safer Places Of Worship (SPOW) website for more guidance.\u00a0 The information given on SPOW predominantly refers to churches but much of the safety guidance is exactly the same for any group or organisation organising a firework and bonfire display.\u00a0 Click <a href=\"http:\/\/www.spow.co.uk\/church-activities-outreach\/bonfires-fireworks.php?key=fireworks\">here<\/a> to go directly to the SPOW website.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.ukwp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/14499777243_8cb48e4b23_o.jpg\"><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cOooh! Ahhh! Weeeee! Oohhh!\u201d We\u2019re all familiar with those sounds at this time of year \u2013 yes, fireworks! Bonfires and fireworks are always exciting and they can be plenty of fun for all ages but they can also be very dangerous if the event is not organised and run properly and safely.\u00a0 As the 5th [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1128,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[187,189],"tags":[44,30,42,43],"acf":{"related_articles":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=862"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2164,"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862\/revisions\/2164"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/edwardsinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}