National Campaign for Firework Safety
Annual Report 1991

Three  years after the British Standard on fireworks was introduced 12" shells and 4 ft rockets are being openly pedalled to any buyers in magazines. No training or licensing is required for what are the most lethal display fireworks. It is no secret that some firework display operators want bigger and more spectacular fireworks, and some of the smaller firework companies of prepared to supply them. 

Three years ago when the new British Standard on fireworks was first introduced it was supposed to cover all fireworks, from sparklers to the biggest display firework. For reasons best known to the "No going forward" group of Ministers currently in residence at the Department of Trade and Industry, Mr Peter Lilley, Mr Edward Leigh, and Mr John Redwood, the originally agreed category 4, was withdrawn. This is what the "cowboys" who run some of the smaller firework companies wanted. There are a lot of "big bucks" to be made at this end of the market which is ever increasing. 

In a letter from secretary of Mr Peter Lilley to NCFR, he had this to say. "We are not prepared to require organisers of public displays to be licensed or trained since this would be unduly bureaucratic and would probably mean the end of large numbers of smaller local displays which we want to encourage the public to attend as safer and better value for money.   On the question of large fireworks we have however suggested to the industry that the larger category 3 fireworks should not be sold in the shops. Category four are not sold in the shops in any case. I am reluctant to impose any further restrictions on the public's enjoyment of bonfire night." 

'Standard Fireworks Ltd', the 'Rev Ron Lancaster firework company', and other firework companies are rightly in arms about this blinkered response from the Department of Trade and Industry. Last year Standard Fireworks went to Canada to see a first hand the licensing and National Training scheme that was introduced there in 1972. We have been telling the manufacturers about this success story since then. Five thousand members of the public were trained the first year, and thousands more since. Standard Fireworks were delighted with all they saw. "If they can do it there, we can certainly do it here", said their spokesman. 

Standard Fireworks and other companies were also represented on the British standards on fireworks committee. Their advice on the most lethal of fireworks, "these lethal bombs", was for a quality control category, and for a ban on the retail sales of these fireworks to untrained and unlicensed members of the public. 

They have made a number of protests to the Chief Inspector of Explosives about this. Mr Eddie Williamson, told the campaign last year. "It is a matter for the politicians". Mr Williamson has already had his fingers burnt by the politicians. A previous great dogmatist Secretary of State but the DTI, Mr Nick Ridley, (" the man with no intray but an ashtray", said the sketch writers) had attempted to prevent the Safety inspectorate from inspecting imported fireworks coming in from China through the back door from West Germany. After a row the Inspectorate said they would ignore the ruling and continue their inspection unless specifics were mentioned. 

Training and licensing exists also in Europe, the United States and further afield. The US goes much further on restrictions than we regard necessary, and so we have taken Canada as the role model. Two years ago at a meeting with a previous Minister for Consumer Affairs Mr Eric Forth, we asked him if he was prepared to follow the Canadian example and introduce licensing and training. Mr Forth said that he could do better than the Canadians. He went on to do nothing. The Canadians have wiped out there firework injury toll. 

On the British Standard categories 1-2-3 the Government and Safety Inspectorate must ensure that the British Standards means just that, not simply a kite mark logo entitled BSI, used as a cop out for denying proper firework regulations. As far as the Inspectorate is concerned the Government must see to it that the have sufficient back up to do their jobs properly, with no further cuts, and no question of firework companies importing and inspecting their own fireworks. This must also apply to the Trading Standards Officers. Regular checks must be made not only at manufacturing level but also in the shops. Since 1980, there have been only three years when shopkeepers were prosecuted. In 1986, there were eight successful prosecutions, in 1987, two, and in 1988, three. Yet hundreds of abuses are reported each year. Those shops which were successfully prosecuted occurred because Trading Standards Officers were prepared to send their own children into shops to stop flagrant abuses. 

The main firework law is the 1875 Explosives Act. That has been updated ones in 1976, when two words were changed.  The age restriction for purchasing fireworks was changed from 13 to 16. The fine for selling fireworks to children under age, or for throwing fireworks in the street was changed from £20 to £200. It was further increased in 1966, not through legislation put an Order in Parliament. The 1951 Fireworks Act deals mostly with the manufacture of fireworks, and the duties of the Secretary of State who is responsible for fireworks "when in the hands of the public". 

Although firework manufacturers have to be licensed, firework displays do not. At present there are only being handful of trained people capable of putting on a large firework display. Nobody is capable founding the new super "Rambo" type fireworks. These fireworks of lethal when in the hands of untrained and unlicensed people. Meanwhile a small training scheme was set up at our request by Standard fireworks in 1988. It was not supported by the DTI, and is confined to one area of the country, Huddersfield. 

Firework injuries for 1990 
Last year patented 805 mostly youngsters were taken to hospital with firework injuries in a period counted by the DTI from October 15 to November 5. Of the total 176 were serious injuries, whilst 269 were Eye injuries. Off the total there was an increase of 5 injuries over the previous year. In the 1980's injuries started at 555 at the beginning of the Eighties, and by 1985 had risen to 968 injuries. In 1986 injuries dropped down to 846, and the following year rose again to 960. For the past three years they have remained in the 800's. These are just the injuries treated by hospitals. Every year parents, GPs, Chemists, and First-Aiders treat hundreds more injuries locally which are not counted in official statistics.

Equally, hundreds of pets were injured by fireworks last year, some died. The DTI promised the statistics "early" admitting that all the statistics would be in by December. They were released by the end of March, in response to give friendly parliamentary written question. They were not published in the press.

Last February there was a massive explosion in Manchester with category 4 type fireworks. This makes a nonsense of the statement from Peter Lilley that these fireworks cannot be sold to the general public. In a response to a parliamentary question from Nigel Griffiths MP (Edinburgh South), John Redwood said that he did not have a breakdown for different category fireworks. He ignored the specific question on the Manchester incident  He said that British firework manufacturers usefully refrain from selling category 4 fireworks to the public. He did not reveal that the companies selling these fireworks advertise magazines, and are listed in the "Yellow Pages" phone book.

This year we are publishing our own Bill in Parliament.  Our Bill limits dangerous fireworks to holders of licences, over 18, for properly organised firework displays only.  It is backed up with a ban on shop sales.  There is a National Training Scheme for members of the public who wish to become firework display operators.  This is the Canadian legislation which has wiped out firework injuries there since 1972.  The new bill will be available to the next Government to pick up and put into legislation.  Although Firework Reform is a non party issue, and we have MP's on all the political divides, only the Opposition Parties are committed to introducing new legislation. Earlier this year we had discussions with the Shadow DTI.  The Shadow Secretary of State, Gordon Brown, and Consumer Affairs, Nigel Griffiths, of his Scottish Team, want new legislation nom.  "Like the seat belt law", said their spokesman, "people will look back and wonder why these sensible proposals were not always in law".

NOEL TOBIN - DIRECTOR