Firework displays operators

In the broader context we must consider safety as it applies to a long list of topics. For every firework display there is the safety of the general public to consider. Equally important is the safety of the spectators, stewards and attendants, not forgetting the operators themselves. The list should also take account of the safety of animals and property, including buildings, vehicles and personal effects. An ill-aimed rocket can quite easily penetrate a bathroom window and continue burning once inside the room. 

I must also acknowledge the many friends and display operators with whom I have enjoyed sharing my passion for fireworks over the years. These include Ray Harrison, Henry Dunlop, Campbell Wilson, Chris Wilson, Ken Norton, Dave Laurence, Andy Goodwin and Debbie, Jonathon Webb, Steve Comall, Dale Sullivan, Roly Harrison, the late... 

A pyrotechnician is someone who organizes and sets off the fireworks at a performance. These individuals have a specific knowledge of safety rules and regulations as well as governmental requirements for this type of show. A Certified Display Operator... 

Without doubt, mines and shells are the most important of the display fireworks in the operator s arsenal shells give the well known spectacular aerial effects, while mines operate from ground level often as a supplement to the shells. 

For display shells of 200 mm and above, reinforced fibreglass mortar tubes are invariably used. Welded steel tubes have long been considered to be amongst the safest because, in the event of a pressure-burst, the tube will split in the vicinity of the weld, thus creating a predictable danger zone. With seamless tubes the fragmentation is completely random and creates a shrapnel hazard for the fireworks operator. 

OPERATOR A person who operates fireworks or pyrotechnic displays (usually in conditions of darkness, cold and damp, with little financial reward, but inestimable dedication). 

The operations for exhibition fireworks 26.9 Control of a great display 26.10. The practical details affecting the firing of shells Part 6 Miscellanea... 

When preparing set pieces for a display, the most often-repeated operation is that of joining two pieces of piped match to convey fire from one to the other Thus, It Is one of the first skills the prospective fireworker should leam. Unfortunately, the literature has few if any exact descriptions of how this Important operation should be done, and the beginner must first learn it on the job. It is hoped that the following Instructions will help in preparing him to make failsafe splices quickly end efficiently at his first display. 

While compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity from legal obligations, the net effect to the consumer or spectator has been a reassuring increase in the standard of safety of both the fireworks and the people responsible for them. The current trend towards organised displays has not been at the expense of the availability of garden or indoor fireworks, however, and the increasing legislation is mainly the concern of those in the industry who are involved with the importation, manufacture, retail or safe operation of fireworks. 

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