h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yes, there's something fairly primeval about fire, isn't there. When all else fails, read the instructions!

Yes, but people seem to follow the DIY rule:

When all else fails, fudge it and then spend an hour picking up the remains of your eyebrows.

also add that you should let only one fire work off at a time.

I think that's in there. Yes, rule 5.

Good, precise, succinct, relevant.

One small point would be the mention of "From last year" -- just to keep in mind that presumabby this article is relevant for many years to come, so it should probably read "From 2002,"



Woodpigeon

Isn't the law changing in time for 5 November 2004?

This entry is to the point, but looks as though it's missed the boat for 2003.

"Keep a torch with you so you can read the instructions on firework" - Given the ambiguity of the word 'torch' (BE and AE and all), you should clarify that you're talking of a battery-driven electric device

Due to another conversation, I've just found this entry - A291647. It looks like you are going into more detail about something that already exists. I'd suggest asking one of the Editors for some advice on this,

The other entry is a history of fireworks, with safety advice "tagged" on to the end, plus it is missing some of the safety advice given here.

As someone who has seen firework misuse, I wanted to write an entry that is solely about firework safety.

I realise it overlaps a bit, but this entry has some very useful info that is not given elsewhere.

Plus these rules are the "official", if you like, rules from the DTI (Dept of Trade and Industry) who are running a BIG campaign in the UK about safety.

I (like Mina) would like to see fireworks banned for sale publically. I have no problems with people going to well-managed displays. However, suggest a ban on sale of fireworks to the public, and people start crying 'nanny state'.
Well, the way I see it is that if irresponsible people want to endanger themselves, then it's up to them. However, once it starts to affect the innocent, then it's a different matter altogether. If a child gets blinded as a result of a thrown firework then it could not be said to be a consequence of their own actions in the slightest. Hence there is a role for legislation to protect people. Never mind about my poor bloody cat who lives in fear for the whole of the month up to November 5th.

I'm not decided.

Ban it and it could go underground and then safety of any sort will be out the window. Reading the stats on injuries is somewhat encouraging. Every year, they get less, but there are still a lot of them.

The problem is, no matter how many "be careful" campaigns there are, some people will always be idiots with fireworks.

I agree with an earlier idea from Zarquon's Singing Fish! that the Co-op won't sell to under 21s. The age limit should be raised to 21.


PS My sister's cats love it. They live in a top floor flat in Edinburgh and they stick their faces to the glass to see the displays. They went nuts over my plasma ball.

Just a quick thought - the box that fireworks are kept in until they are lit should be made of metal or plastic and tightly sealed. If all the fireworks were kept in a cardboard box there is a danger that they could all go off at the same time, if a spark should land on the surface of the cardboard.

Good entry BTW, and just in time for Bonfire Night!

Bronners

I've made the change.

I'd suggest that make this entry an update of the safety info in the other entry, or you ask the Editors to remove that section from that entry, use it to update this one and then link to it. Also, if you are just quoting DTI rules, then you might find it interesting that the last person who tried to quote rules, or a law if I remember correctly, ended up having that removed and a link to another website put into the entry. Which would kind of defeat the object of yours...

Any Scouts have an opinion on this?

I'll ask them when I can get an my email.

If it's any help, I once e-mailed HMSO, to clarify the position regarding quoting government statistics at the board meetings of a housing association.

The answer I got was, in effect, I have to state precisely what I want to quote before I can ask permission. I found this tended to make such figures unquotable - there is not enough time to get permission before you want to use the quoted figures.

Their most unhelpful reply included:
"Her Majesty's Stationery Office - delivers access and reuse of government information through innovative e-services at www.hmso.gov.uk"!
Trouble is, you cannot put an e-service into an agenda paper.

Hope you can do better than this.

Well...

I "work" for a local radio station and the DTI in partnership with another organisation whose name I forget, gave us a pre-recorded safety advert to play that contained simple versions of the rules I have quoted on this entry.

That's what got me started on this entry.

Then I went to the DTI's site and found PDF files of the leaflets that they are handing out to schools etc which also has the same rules on it.

There is even more info available for event organisers including legal requirements (they will soon have to have a licence and already require public liability insurance)

Then I wrote the entry.

AC - It might be the DTi (it does have a small 'i', btw - the entry needs amending here) in partnership with RoSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents). I used to work for them many moons ago.

Mina,

It's a close call. Overall, I'd say, as the substantive part of this entry is about safety, and as AC says, this bit was only a small part of the larger 'Fireworks' entry, I would be inclined to let this one be.

It's not just bonfire night that fireworks are let off for, though; it's Diwali, New Year, people's birthdays, anniversaries, etc. so it's much more of an all year round thing these days.

I took that from their website. It's a little confusing.

The logo is definately "dti" on green background. But it refers to itself as DTI, as in "Read more about DTI" everywhere on the site.

Oh, now I'm confused. I've always known them as the DTi. Maybe it's a recent change? Or maybe they can't chose themselves between dti and DTI, but I always knew them as DTi.