Fireworks Regulations

The latest Fireworks Regulations came into force on 7th August 2004 having been issued as a Statutory Instrument in conjunction with the DTI. 

The Fireworks Regulations 2004 (Published by the Stationery Office Limited, London). 

Organized firework celebrations, to which the public are admitted, have to adhere to stringent safety regulations and may be safer to attend than a private celebration. 

Anybody who studies the legislation will see that BS7114 makes a notable addition to the Explosives Acts of 1875 and 1923, the Fireworks Act of 1951, the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974, the Consumer Protection Acts of 1978 and 1987, and the Classification and Labelling of Explosives Regulations of 1983. 

Upon classification, all explosives (including fireworks) are assigned to dangerous goods Class 1 in accordance with the Classification and Labelling of Explosives Regulations 1983 (CLER). Class 1 explosive substances and articles are then further classified according to their respective hazards. 

Thus anybody involved in the manufacture, storage, or professional use of fireworks should at least be familiar with the scope of the 2005 Regulations and of the fact that the Code of Practice has special legal status i.e. a court would find you at fault if it is proved that you did not follow relevant provisions of the Code. 

Although the Regulations are both extensive and detailed, sound advice will be found on matters such as firework fusing and the prevention of accidental initiation which might occur e.g. 

It should also be noted that the Regulations apply to the manufacture and storage of explosives whether this is for work or non-work purposes. This means that they would apply to anyone storing explosives for personal recreational use, or to clubs or societies storing for firework displays or re-enactment events. 

FIREWORKS SAFETY REGULATIONS The Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997. SI No. 2294. 

The use of all arsenic compounds -- including realgar - is prohibited in "common fireworks" (the type purchased by individuals) by regulations of the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission [121. 

Class B Explosive Under the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) safety regulations, as per 49 CFR 173.88, Class B explosives are defined as those explosives which in general function by rapid combustion rather than detonation and include some explosive devices such as special fireworks, flash powders, some pyrotechnic signal devices and liquid or solid propellant explosives which include some smokeless powders. The regulations provide specific descriptions of and tests for Class B explosives. 

Further experiments with other simple sulfide mixtures are good illustrations of the simple chemistry in fireworks effects regulation. Notice that some mixes evolve sulfur as monoatomic gas, which does not condense easily, and others evolve 2 gas, which does condense easily. Notice that spritzels evolving monoatomic sulfur quickly float charcoal and aluminum to the outer surface of the spritzel and quickly blow particles of charcoal off the surface of the spritzel. The spritzels which evolve... 

More recently, the Fireworks (Safety) Regulations of 1997, on Consumer Protection, has prohibited the supply of certain fireworks to the general... 

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... 

U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, Fireworks devices. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 16, Part 1507. 

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