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Chesterfield Home > Fireworks advice to shops and customers
With bonfire night just around the corner Derbyshire County Council’s trading standards safety team is offering important advice to people either selling or buying fireworks.
As well as carrying out undercover checks using child volunteers to ensure retailers are not selling to under 18’s, checks will also be carried out to ensure fireworks are stored safely in line with new explosives regulations.
They will also check illegal fireworks are not on sale and products are not on sale outside the permitted selling periods, which for bonfire night is between October 15 and November 10.
Meanwhile, officers are urging the public to remember the Firework Safety Code when using fireworks.
Anyone who has concerns about safety of fireworks in shops or selling to children under 18 are encouraged inform trading standards at Call Derbyshire on 08 456 058 058.
Complaints about firework misuse in public places should be reported to the police – this includes using fireworks during the night hours curfew from 11pm to 7am (except on November 5 when the curfew begins at midnight and on New Year’s Eve when it begins at 1am).
Councillor Clive Moesby, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for community safety said: “Bonfire night should be fun but unfortunately we hear of fireworks casualties every year.
"Traders have a legal and moral duty to comply with the law and we support them wherever necessary with information and advice about their responsibilities.
“Fireworks can only be sold at registered premises and we urge consumers to take care when buying and storing fireworks.
“We are determined to stamp out illegal sales and continue to work hard to ensure bonfire night is as safe as possible so everyone can enjoy the celebrations.”
The authority’s enforcement officers recently worked with colleagues in Sussex and Shropshire to suspend the supply of potentially dangerous fireworks after being alerted to faults in a large batch of imported rockets.
A Derbyshire importer has subsequently withdrawn the fireworks from sale after trading standards samples confirmed the batch failed to meet legal safety standards.
Robert Taylour, head of the County Council’s trading standards service, said: “This is a good example of how Trading Standards services throughout the country work together behind the scenes to safeguard consumers. In this case, without our intervention these fireworks would have been in the shops for family bonfire night celebrations and the dire consequences of faulty display rockets falling onto onlookers is all to easy to imagine”.
 
 
Trading standards has the following advice to customers:
  • Always buy fireworks from registered premises - if you are in doubt, call Derbyshire County Council trading standards at Call Derbyshire on 08 456 058 058 to check. Fireworks cannot be legally sold from car boot sales or market stalls.
  • Only buy fireworks that are marked BS 7114 - indicating they meet the British Standard.
  • Follow the instructions carefully and think about where you are going to let them off – 
       many display fireworks require spectators to stand 25 metres away in all directions.
  • The new Regulations can apply to members of the public storing explosives at home for personal use. Anyone keeping a substantial quantity of fireworks at home for more than 21 days should consult trading standards as they may need to register the storage.  Larger quantities may only be kept unregistered for up to three days at the place of intended use. An important point easily overlooked is that home insurance cover may be invalid if explosives are not stored safely and legally.
 
 Traders who sell fireworks are advised to:
  • Ensure they are registered with the county council.
  • Check fireworks are stored safely in accordance with legal requirements.
  • Refuse to sell to anyone under 18. If unsure, ask for proof of age and, if it cannot be provided or is unsatisfactory, do not sell. It is against the law for traders to sell fireworks to anyone under 18 and those caught flouting the law risk prosecution.
  • Be aware that the maximum fine for fireworks offences is £5,000 (and/or up to six months imprisonment for serious safety breaches).
  • Contact Derbyshire County Council’s trading standards at Call Derbyshire on 08 456 058 058 if they are in any doubt about how to store fireworks.
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