Keeping Safe with the Family on Bonfire Night

Remember remember the 5th of November! The night that goes whizz pop whizz bang, also the night you need to get your ooooosss and aaaaaassss ready as the night’s sky is lit up in colour and patterns.

I’ve always enjoyed fireworks whether on the actual night or if it’s just so a special celebration and it seems the girls have followed on from that. But you need to remember that they are also dangerous and are not to be messed around with. Every year we drum it into the girls that these fireworks can be very dangerous and are not to be messed about with.

However if you follow the simple rules you won’t get hurt and you will also enjoy them.

• Children must never play with fireworks.
• Only buy legal fireworks from a licensed seller, not from a friend down the road.
• Never make your own fireworks.
• Always use fireworks outdoors and have a hose and bucket of water nearby.
• Never point or throw fireworks at others.
• Don’t hold fireworks in your hand when lighting them.
• Point fireworks away from homes and buildings.
• Only light one firework at a time.
• Never try and relight a dud
• Never allow children to pick up old fireworks they may still be ignited and could explode.
• Think about pets and keep all pets indoors.

If you take note of these rules then you and your children are free to enjoy the evenings entertainment. If you get the chance head to a professional display as the children will love it, with the massive bonfire and all hot food that goes with it.

Try to remember that little ones are a lot more sensitive to the loud noises so try to remember to put some warm earmuffs on them and get them to wear safety glasses as the last thing you want is to rush to hospital because they have some burning piece in their eye.

One of my favourite parts of bonfire night is sparklers and creating different patterns in the sky and it’s a fun thing for the children to do but make sure they understand the dangers and don’t treat them as a toy. Make sure they are wearing gloves and safety glasses and keep them away from their faces, hair and clothing. and NEVER EVER wave them at other people, sparklers can reach temperatures of 1,800°F (982°C) which is hot enough to melt gold.

So remember to stay safe and have fun

Written by Darren Coleshill