How long before we get a government that decides selling explosives to the general public is a bad idea?

[ChristinaParsons]

That’s it really. Pissed off with the 3 weeks of fireworks that have been going on around me. Ask 100 people who bought fireworks what they were celebrating, you would be lucky to get one who had the correct answer

I’m assuming people dying from sausages is due to food poisoning and not throughout some freak accident where a string of sausages have been caught round the neck? 🤔😬

lighthearted

I would support organised and professionally led displays only. With a license to buy them and a permit to have a display.
That's my personal view and I'm allowed to think it, however I don't think that every person who purchases and uses fireworks is an idiot, or do so unsafely. I just think that the current restrictions aren't enough for explosive material that can and does cause injury when used properly, never mind when they're abused. There's also the risk to property, the effect on animals and vulnerable people. Part of the issue with animals and vulnerable people is the unpredictability, it can be a week either side of bonfire night at least. Banning general sale would reduce all those things.
Fun can be had at organised events too, it is still a celebration of the tradition, a time to spend with family and friends.
Saying that everyone that wants to ban fireworks for general sale are just kill joys is like saying everyone who uses fireworks in their garden are idiots. Neither statement is true. I would think anyone who has had an incident where they have been, or had a loved one, injured by fireworks or lost a pet or had animals frantic, or had property damaged has a very good reason to dislike them and want tighter controls.
While I agree you can't ban everything that poses a risk, surely it's just sensible to try and control and minimise the risk?

I have PTSD and can't do organised displays because the amount of people and large bangs cause me to melt down.

I don't want DD to miss out and she doesn't like going without me as she worries, so we always have a small display of our own with silent rockets and small ground fireworks, Catherine wheels etc. We also have a little fire and a BBQ.

I'd be sad if they were banned - we are very responsible with them and I love watching them, I just can't handle the huge ones.

I really do understand the pets being scared though. My cat and dogs are fine, but I know of lots of terrified dogs.

I think that it's a shame some arsehole spoil it for others. I don't get why they have to bang. If there were silent fireworks that were just nice to look at, it would solve some problems.

I used to live in Surrey and also thought the people calling for bans were joyless moaners - not that we ever had fireworks ourselves, but I liked watching other people’s. Now I live in Anfield, and in the past three weeks I’ve had rockets thrown at me twice, fireworks bouncing off the windows of my flat twice and coming within about five feet many more times, damage to the external walls from people throwing rockets at the building, and a friend call me in fear this evening because kids were throwing fireworks into the crowd who’d gathered nearby to watch the display in town. I also saw a car burning on my street after another group of kids smashed the window and threw firecrackers in. Guess how I feel now?

for explosive material that can and does cause injury when used properly,

I take issue with this. It is pretty hard to injure yourself if you treat fireworks properly.

OP I have to say I cant wait for the day that only organised displays happen.
I have 2 dogs and 1 cat who have all been nervous wrecks for days now.
We have farms and a riding school locally who have very stressed animals!
Fine have fireworks on bonfire night, but why the heck on halloween, new years, grannys birthday, the end of the week celebration, or just cos you can be a prat and let them off and laugh...

I love watching fireworks and usually go to a display.

But it’s 11pm, I have to get up for work at 5am, the fireworks have been goin off intermittently since 5pm. Last night our neighbours 3 houses down decided to let off about 10 all at once at 2am, all very noisy, I woke with a start thinking I was in a war zone, it was so loud and all white flashes.

We have had late night fireworks for well over a week. I don’t mind having a little display between 6 and 8pm but why all bloody night.

As I type someone not far has lit some more. I just want to sleep!

Was - they do though because things go wrong. For example the hotel display where people were injured yesterday. The ITV article states that the manufacturers instructions about safety cordon was observed and exceeded. The report says the box 'malfunctioned' and the fireworks were dispersed into the crowd. So yes, all instructions followed, it's believed to be safe. People are still injured.

I think it’s wrong to class fireworks as explosives, they really are not, gunpowder is classed as a propellant...it’s gun powder and some magnesium. Explosives are a whole different category

It’s easy to make gunpowder at home, (charcoal, sulpher, potassium nitrate) so not really practical to ban them as people will make them

My friend had a firework thrown at her face years ago.

A rogue one missed me by inches and caused me to lose my hearing for a days afterwards. I don't like them.

So, -beerwench a ban on sale to the general public is a bit pointless because organised displays malfunction and hurt people anyway

The most effective thing would be legislation limiting the explosive power of fireworks on sale to the general public.

I've moved around a lot. In some areas, fireworks just aren't a big thing, and residents self-regulate themselves very effectively. In another area, my then next door neighbour appeared at the door to ask if someone could accompany her to the estate corner shop, because she was too scared to go by herself.

wasonthelist

So, -beerwench a ban on sale to the general public is a bit pointless because organised displays malfunction and hurt people anyway

You've missed the point I was making. I originally said that even when all the correct procedures are followed, things can and do go wrong and people get injured. You took issue with that idea, and said that if they're used properly then I have then replied with an incident where exactly that happened. According to the report, all the instructions were followed but it still went wrong, and people were injured. And that IMO, should show that tighter controls are needed, not that they aren't. It should illustrate that actually these things are still dangerous when you do what's been dictated by the manufacturer. If someone who let's of fireworks is licenced and has been trained to a universal standard, then the likelihood is lower of something going wrong.
The hotel could, quite legally, have had anyone over 18 lighting the fireworks, because there's no restrictions other than that. That's my whole point, following the instructions on the box clearly isn't enough, because incidents are still happening.

And I apologise for the shitty spelling and grammar there

Tara - some legislation does exist, category 4 fireworks are restricted to 'professional' buyers only. And fireworks are tested to see which category they fall to.
Category 1 ("indoor") fireworks are for use in extremely restricted areas.

Category 2 ("garden") fireworks must be safely viewable from 5 metres away, and must scatter no debris beyond a 3-metre range.
Category 3 ("display") fireworks must be safely viewable from 25 metres away, and must scatter no debris beyond a 20-metre range.
Under BS14035, there are also now Category 2 fireworks that require a longer distance of 8 metres, providing potentially better effects than 5 metre fireworks but without the fallout of Category 3 fireworks.

Fireworks of louder than 120dBA at 15 metres cannot be sold to the public.[3]

It is not illegal for a firework to be set off at less than the minimum safely viewable distance; however, in the event of any injury to a spectator, the firer might be liable if the distance was too short.

A Category 3 firework will contain no more than 1 kg net explosive content in the case of combinations and fountains, except for fountain combinations, which can contain up to 3 kg of net explosive content.[4]

Professional fireworks Edit
Category 4 ("professional") fireworks are for sale only to fireworks professionals.[5] They have no restrictions, and this is the default category for any firework which has not been tested to confirm that it should be in one of the lower categories.
The law considers a firework professional to be someone employed in a business that fires fireworks, such as a firework display outlet, or a stagehand. In practice, most stores [according to whom?] that sell Category 4 fireworks do ask for proof of training; most [according to whom?] category 4 professionals are trained under the British Pyrotechnists Association Professional Firers Training Scheme,[6] although equally legitimate professional competency courses, recognised under current legislation, are provided by some commercial organisations such as Illuminate Consult.[7] Company directors are liable under the Health and Safety at Work Act for the safety of their employees, and prosecutions have occurred.[8]

The main issue for me here are the category 3 fireworks being available to buy in shops with no restrictions. If they were licenced then IMO it'd make a difference to the potential for injury, the noise and the risks from falling debris.

The bigger category 2 and 3 ones can be quite dangerous. Indoor and Garden fireworks should be the only ones used at home. Category 3 should need a training class or licence - they are treated far too lightly.

The bigger category 2 and 3 ones can be quite dangerous. Indoor and Garden fireworks should be the only ones used at home. Category 3 should need a training class or licence - they are treated far too lightly.