I love fireworks, I always have. I enjoy going to the big displays, although I haven’t been in a few years as I always seem to be working the nights they are on.
I also love an at home display with family and friends and a nice warm cuppa.
The advantages of an at home display (other than a decent coffee) are not having to mess about getting to the display area, no parking wars, and you can watch from inside if you can’t stand the cold.
The disadvantages are the extortionate prices of fireworks these days, and of course the safety aspect.
I firmly believe you can do an at home display safely with a bit of planning and some common sense.
Here are my top tips on how to have a safe at home firework display:
1. Firstly, avoid the term firework party when inviting people. I know it might sound more fun than display, but it also sounds like a boozy event. The last thing you want around fireworks is people who have had a drink or two too many.
If you want to have drinks, try a hot cider or mulled wine for through the fireworks, and serve the other drinks after the display. Perhaps compromise, and invite people to a display with an after party.
2. Make sure the person responsible for setting up and lighting the fireworks knows what they are doing and follows the instructions.
3. Always point the fireworks away from the area where people will be standing or sitting.
4. Make sure children are watched closely so they don’t wander off into any dangerous areas. Cordon them off if possible (the dangerous areas, not the children 😉 ).
5. Ensure the fireworks are stored safely prior to the event. Somewhere cool, with no risk of naked flames or sparks and out of the reach of children. Ideally, not in your home.
6. Make sure children are wearing gloves when holding sparklers and that they are supervised by an adult.
7. Have a fire extinguisher/fire blanket close to hand. It’s unlikely you will need it if the fireworks are set off properly, but it’s better safe than sorry. Also, have a sand bucket or a bucket of water to put used up fireworks into just to be certain they are out.
8. Don’t skimp on quality. If you can’t afford legitimate, tested fireworks from a reputable retailer, don’t buy them. If the deal sounds too good too be true, chances are it is, and the fireworks may not be up to safety standards.
9. Never hold a firework in your hands to light it (except sparklers).
10. If a firework doesn’t go off, don’t bend over it in case it is just a bit slow. Give it a minute or two and when you are sure it is not going to work, throw some water over it from a distance before approaching it.
Remember, whether you are having a display or not, the noise of the fireworks will scare pets.
-Keep them indoors, and have some background noise in the room with them.
-Don’t leave them alone where possible.
-Bring outdoor pets inside.
Do you go to a display or do your own or do you think fireworks are over rated? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to share any of your safety tips! 🙂
This is a great and informative post! Thanks so much for sharing and for linking up! #MMWBH
Thank you and thanks for hosting 🙂
Such a lovely and informative post indeed. Thank you for sharing this to keep the children as well as parent safety.
Thank you 🙂 I think safety is important and it doesn't have to spoil the fun!
Good tips we go to an excellent display at my son's school which seems the safest way. Luckily the cats don't seem too fussed, but they don't go out much.
Thank you 🙂 That's great, nice and easy to get to. You must have brave cats lol!
I never heard of making children wear gloves with sparklers before! We have a bonfire night to attend tomorrow so this is perfect timing Debbie 🙂
It's just a little protection in case they grab too close to the flame where its hot 🙂 Oh, enjoy it!
Great tips! I don't like fireworks (I think it's both the noise and the danger element lol) so I definitely won't be having a home fireworks display. I'm going to share on my Facebook page in the morning though as I want to help raise awareness 🙂
Louise x
With love from Lou
I enjoy fireworks, but I can understand why some people don't – they are pretty loud! Thank you so much Louise 🙂 x
Great tips! Fireworks can be so dangerous if taken seriously. They're banned here in Australia for personal use
Thank you 🙂 That's probably a good idea, here pretty much anyone over 18 can buy them!
Fireworks make me so nervous, especially with children around! We're not allowed fireworks at home in Ireland – but people still find ways of getting them. So good to read a post like this so you can keep yourself familiar with ways to keep your kids safe!
I enjoy them, but I'm always wary when children are around them. At least they are trying to stop them, here anyone can buy them! Thank you 🙂
Some really good advice and as well as keeping your own pets indoors, ensure you look out for others peoples and small critters like hedgehogs who might be hiding x
Yes, that's an excellent point. A pre built bonfire could easily be used by a small animal x
Great tips. Like Nessa, fire works make me very nervous so it's good to have this blog post to hand if ever I need it. The reminder to make sure kids wear gloves is a good one in particular. People think sparklers are harmless!
Thank you, I'm glad you found it useful 🙂 Yes, it always shocks me the amount of people that think sparklers are harmless!
Heya this is kinda of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors
or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding expertise so I wanted to get advice from someone
with experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
When I first started blogging, I had no idea about coding whatsoever and I managed perfectly ok. I read a quick online tutorial to get a basic understanding, although I think I would have been ok without it, so please don’t let that put you off starting a blog 🙂 I started on Blogger and now I’m on here and both use WYSIWYG systems. I hope that helps 🙂