Monday, September 8, 2008

Fireworks Display Sites & Safety Considerations

Site Considerations

The choice of a good site is critical to public safety, and clearly important to the full enjoyment of the display.


Site Visit

It is obvious that the Operator to any short-listed site must pay an early visit

before detailed preparations can begin. The Operator will then be able to assess realistically the factors which follow. Important details are taken from HS(G)123


Space for the display

This is the space required for the operation of a fireworks display, including the safety area between the firing area and the spectators. It is likely to be a rectangle at least 150m wide by 75m deep (450 feet by 225 feet)


Space for the spectators

This area should ideally be upwind of the display area, and large enough to

accommodate the expected numbers. Spectators should not be so tight-packed that they could not move out of the way quickly in the event of an accident. As a rough guide, there should be no more than about two people per metre square.

The standing surface must be safe, e.g. to avoid slipping in wet weather, and free from obstructions, e.g. ditches, which could cause injury, particularly in the dark.


Fallout Zone

This is an area that is what it suggests. It is calculated to be large enough to contain any fireworks debris that will come back to Earth! The fall-out zone must be clear of any people, buildings, stores or anything inflammable.

Make sure that spectators or uninvited guests are not watching from the rear, or near the fall-out zone.

Remember that rockets when fired will turn into the wind. Even if the wind is blowing away from crowd a rocket will fly towards them. The most dangerous piece of debris from a spent firework is the rocket body and stick.


Space for a Bonfire (If there is to be one)

This must be well clear of other activities that could be adversely affected by stray sparks or smoke, e.g. the firing and spectator areas. It must be well clear of buildings, roads, railways, rights of way, etc., and at a safe distance from stocks of flammable materials and overhead power lines. It should be downwind of the spectator area


Access to the Site for the delivery of Fireworks and other Equipment

Safe and certain access to the site from the road system is required for the supply vehicles. When choosing access routes, account must be taken of the adverse effects of weather on soft-surface ground and tracks.


Access to the site for Emergency Vehicles

Police, Fire, and Ambulance vehicles must be able to reach the site quickly, under all weather conditions. The routes must not become obstructed during the display, e.g. by other parked vehicles.


Access to the Site for Spectators

Spectator access must be adequate to get people on and off the site in reasonable time, again taking weather effects into account. A grass field may provide reasonable access in summer, but not after a few days of winter rain. There should be at least two routes, and they must be well signed and illuminated

The pedestrian access routes must be separate from vehicle access to car parking space, as below. There must be space for spectators to leave the site rapidly on foot in an emergency.


Spectator car Parking

Space for cars and coaches must be provided. If public roads are to be used, this must be agreed in advance with the Police. Pedestrian access from the parking spaces to the spectator area must also be well signed and illuminated.


Surrounding areas (Such as dwellings, Roads, Railways)

The display must be located clear of these, to the extent that damage could not be caused, even in the event of complete mal-operation of a firework item. In the case of roads, the vehicles do not have to be struck by a firework for a danger to be created. An accident could result from a sudden and unexpected event anywhere on or near the carriageway.


Overhead power lines

These are vulnerable to the impact of the fireworks themselves, and may also cause a flashover if they are near scaffolding and frames used to support display features, or if they arc to Earth via the column of hot gas ejected by a firework. They may also produce stray currents in electric circuits in the vicinity, leading to the premature initiation of firework items.


Hazardous installations

The display must be well clear of any installation where flammable materials are

stored or used, or where fire damage may lead to enhanced danger, e.g. plant where toxic gases are used.


Rivers and canals

Apart from the false-signalling aspects mentioned earlier, vessels and their

passengers on waterways could be endangered by a display accident. Also, spent fireworks landing in water could cause pollution, which could lead to prosecution by the Environmental Agency.


Prevailing wind

The prevailing wind direction will dictate the orientation of the display site, as

discussed earlier in relation to site layout.


Changes

Amendment to display features if safety considerations require it should be possible and ideally the ability to modify the site layout if conditions change between the time the display is planned and the time of execution. For example, if there is a significant change in wind direction, or if new adjacent features appear, e.g. construction work. An alternative plan should be held in readiness for a layout change if necessary. Obviously, the larger the total safe area available, the easier it would be to accommodate alternative layouts.


In general, the choice of firework display site is critical, and the exact form of the display, and the type of fireworks to be used, cannot finally be determined until the site is confirmed. Once determined, the site should not be changed. Otherwise the planning process will have to restart from the beginning.

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