Stay safe this Halloween and Bonfire Night

They have provided a list of simple steps to stay safe due to the potential dangers during this period.

On bonfire night, residents are advised to attend an organised display instead of having fireworks at their own home. Organised displays are being held across the country and a full list can be found on the GFRS firework and bonfire safety website.

Other safety tips for bonfire night include:

• Only allow adults to handle fireworks.
• Read and follow the instructions on each firework using a torch if necessary.
• Light the firework at arm's length with a taper and stand well back.
• Keep naked flames, including cigarettes, away from fireworks.
• Never return to a firework once it has been lit.

Advice on safety around Halloween includes:

• Costumes should have a UKCA or CE mark, which shows that it complies with safety standards. When shopping online, it’s advisable to buy from legitimate UK sources to make sure that the products comply with UK safety standards.
• Battery operated lights are much safer than candles to use in homemade lanterns and pumpkins.
• Be aware of the risk to clothing, costumes and curtains when celebration candles are in use. Do not move a candle when it is lit.
• In the garden, keep children and pets away from garden candles and lanterns.
• Remember to ensure all candles are not left unattended in any room and are out before leaving the house or extinguished before bedtime.
• ‘Be Bright, Be seen’ when out and about near roads.

Further advice can be found on the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service website and the Gloucestershire Trading Standards website.  

Nathaniel Hooton, Temporary Chief Fire Officer at Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “I would encourage residents to attend one of the many organised bonfire and firework displays across the county as these are safer. However, if you are using fireworks at your own home, please make sure to follow the safety advice provided at all times. Keep fireworks in a closed box and use one at a time, only allow adults to handle them and stand well back from them when they are lit. Direct them well away from spectators, keep a bucket of water or garden hose close by in case of emergency and never buy fireworks from unlicensed sellers. Please also be considerate of neighbours, particularly vulnerable people, and remember that the noise from fireworks can be distressing for pets, livestock and wildlife. Fireworks can cause serious or life-changing injuries, so please treat them with extreme caution.”

Steven Toppin, Trading Standards Service Manager, said: “Fireworks are explosives, not ordinary consumer products, so it is important that consumers only buy them from legitimate and responsible retailers. Don't purchase through social media, online marketplaces or informal sellers. A cheap firework from an unknown source is not necessarily a bargain. Our message to sellers is equally clear: if you sell fireworks, you are responsible for ensuring that you comply with the law, including safe storage and preventing sales to children. We will take concerns about illegal sales or unsafe storage seriously.”

Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Communities and Fire, said: “The advice from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service and Trading Standards is here to keep people safe and it is vital that the advice is followed. We want everyone in Gloucestershire to have an enjoyable bonfire night, but fireworks can be dangerous, so it is important to follow the guidance to prevent family or friends from any injuries.”