Stay safe this Bonfire Night

The local NHS is urging people to follow all the health and safety advice on fireworks to help prevent serious burns and injuries on Bonfire Night. 

With organised fireworks cancelled this year due to Covid-19, there’s concern more people will plan displays and bonfires in their own gardens, which if firework safety codes aren’t followed, will pose a significant risk including for families with children.

London Fire Brigade have suggested alternative ways to celebrate at home, with ideas including: making your own Guy Fawkes and bonfire crafts, decorating the home, purchasing glo sticks for children and baking bonfire goodies.

Please ensure if you do have your own event at home, you follow all the health and safety advice on fireworks to help prevent serious burns and injury. Firework safety advice and the firework code is available at Royal Society of Prevention of Accidents: www.rospa.com/Fireworks-Safety

The Child Accident Prevention Trust have also published some essential safety tips:

• Children need careful supervision. Have a marker, like a rope, for the children to stand behind at a safe distance from the display.
• If children are dressing up, make sure the costumes have a CE mark and keep them away from flames, sparklers and fireworks.
• If sparklers are used, wear gloves and have a bucket of water handy for spent sparklers, so no-one is tempted to pick up a used one.
• Store fireworks in a metal box until you are ready to use them.
• Use a torch – rather than a naked flame – to read the instructions.
• Light a firework at arm’s length with a taper or firework lighter
• Don’t return to a firework once it has been lit.

Kath Evans, Director of Children’s Nursing at NHS Barts Health Trust, said: “We want children to have fun and enjoy the celebrations at this time of year, yet we’re concerned if people don’t follow firework safety guidance there could be lots of firework related injuries, which potentially can be life threatening. We can all help the NHS by taking extra care, avoiding unnecessary risks and following the firework code.”

Information on treatment for burns and scalds is available from www.nhs.uk/conditions/burns-and-scalds/treatment/

For more information from London Fire Brigade visit: www.london-fire.gov.uk