Firework Firing Site Considerations

The choice of a good site is critical to public safety, and clearly important to the full enjoyment of the firework 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 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 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, in Terms of-
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.

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Firework Types & Explosives & how they work Part 3

High Explosives

Alfred Nobel showed that by careful adjustment of the grain size of gunpowder and suitable confinement of the reaction, that a detonation wave could be produced. The speed of combustion has been so accelerated that it has broken the sound barrier and gone super sonic. You are now in the realms of high explosive.

Deflagatory explosives decompose energetically by a process of chemical combustion; high explosives decompose energetically by a process of physical destruction. A detonator produces a super- sonic shock wave which scythes through the inter-atomic bonds that hold the molecules of the high explosive together. The released energy from these broken bonds then travels out to propagate the reaction.

The force of the high explosives is not dependent on the production of hot gases, but by the creation of a physical shock wave.

Basic high explosives are single substances and, since oxidising agents do not play a part in their decomposition, many can be quite safely ignited and they will burn like wood or paper.

High explosives can of course be mixed together, Lyddite, Gelignite are examples of mixed explosives.

It should be noted that Aluminium Nitrate can be used as an oxidising agent as well as a high explosive and is used in the manufacture of Amatol to get rid of the clouds of black smoke produced by the detonation of TNT.

Nuclear

Whereas high explosives involve the breaking down of molecules into atoms, nuclear explosions involve breaking down atoms into their sub-atomic particles

Nuclear explosions are Matter/Anti-matter reactions in which the Matter (Electrons, Protons, Neutrons etc.) are destroyed to produce Anti- matter (pure energy).

Fire precautions involving nuclear explosions are beyond the scope of this course.

The Keeping and Storage of Explosives

It is likely that Operators will at some stage need to keep explosives in temporary storage before a display, or after it in the case of unused items-

Explosives Act requirements

The Act requires explosives, including fireworks, to be kept in a factory or magazine licensed by the HSE, or in premises registered with the Local Authority. The quantities and types that may be kept will depend on the particulars of the licence.

Exceptions to this are where explosives are delivered to a site for use on that day, or where they are stored privately in accordance with the Control of Explosives Regulations 1991, as below.

Control of Explosives Regulations 1991

These Regulations allow, among other things, the storage of an unlimited quantity of fireworks on private premises for up to fourteen days before private use. This concession is however of no value to Operators who are giving commercial public displays.

Special Requirements for Fireworks

Operators are likely to require licensed or registered storage. In the latter case, the quantities that may be stored will vary according to the authorisation, and may range from a few kilos up to several tonnes.

The storage will need to be within easy road reach site, so that the items can be delivered and set up within the day.

MSER

Now in force took many of the older and less known explosives regulations (some of them listed) and wrapped them up into one all encompassing piece of legislation. It governs every aspect of Firework Storage, Manufacture & Use. Storage is determined by Hazard Type, Distance and an assessment of the pros and cons of any one site, the ACOP that accompanies the legislation is designed to help you interpret and put into place safe working practices.

Manufacture of Fireworks

Wherever they are manufactured, only fireworks designed and manufactured with care should be used for displays-

Main sources of Supply

Fireworks factories were set up in European countries and in the United States during the last few hundred years, producing fireworks for private and public use, and for the manufacture of other pyrotechnic articles such as signal flares, line-throwing rockets, etc.

However, after the Second World War, labour costs in the industrialised world raised to the point where the manufacture of fireworks in many cases became uneconomic, and a large proportion of the activity shifted to areas of the world where labour costs are low.

Imports into the UK

Imported fireworks have to be authorised and classified by the HSE, and this represents some restriction to ensure that fireworks of unknown or unsatisfactory composition and performance cannot legally be held or used.

Firework Importation and British Standards

Imports into the UK

Imported fireworks have to be authorised and classified by the HSE, and this represents some restriction to ensure that fireworks of unknown or unsatisfactory composition and performance cannot legally be held or used.

BS 7114 1988

This British Standard was introduced to bring some order and definition to the range and variety of fireworks available to the public, particularly in the light of increased imports, as above. The underlying purpose was to enhance the safety of fireworks by the specification of construction and performance, and by the provision of instructions for their proper use.

Categories of Fireworks

Part 1 of the Standard defines fireworks under four Categories, depending on how they are to be used, and lists and briefly describes the types in each Category.

Category 1

Should not cause injury to people standing 1m or more away, and not cause damage to property.

In the case of hand-held fireworks, should not cause injury to the holder.

Category 2

Should not cause injury to people standing 5m or more away. In the case of sparklers, the holder should not be injured by hot slag dropping, nor by sparks. Any fuse fitted should allow the person igniting the firework to withdraw at least 5m before initiation.

Category 3

Should not cause injury to people standing 25m or more away. People firing these fireworks would be expected to wear suitable PPE.

Category 4

Fireworks which are incomplete and/or not intended for public sale.

Other requirements of the Standard

Part 2 of the Standard gives the specifications for each type in each Category, including requirements for marking and labelling. Part 3 describes the test methods.

There are no references in Parts 2 and 3 of the Standard to Category 4 fireworks. Part 1 recommends that they be marked with the warning “This device must not be sold to, or used by, a member of the general public”. It also forbids any marking referring to the Standard on, or in relation to, Category 4 fireworks.

Preliminary Regulations for Packing & Transport

These were referred to at the start of the course-‘Classification and Labelling of Explosives 1983’ These Regulations first brought explosives in the UK within UN classification system, as described above.

Before explosives are transported, kept, or supplied –

· They must be classified and assigned to a UN number and Compatibility Group, as above

· The packages must be marked with the UN name and number, and labelled with two Class warning signs, normally 100mm square, showing the Division and Compatibility Group

Packaging of Explosives for Carriage 1991

The UN specifications for packaging

The UN specifies types of packaging, and assigns codes to them. For fireworks, the most common types are likely to be the fibreboard box type 4 G. Note that this UN packaging code has nothing to do with the UN Division and Compatibility Group letter 1.4 G.

Performance testing of packaging

Explosives must normally be carried in UN-approved packaging. An approved package is one where a prototype has successfully undergone the UN performance tests for the type at a Government-approved test establishment. Apart from the type approval, the packaging must be suitable in all respects, e.g. undamaged.

No one may carry explosives if they know that they are not in compliance, e.g. they are not in UN-approved packaging, or otherwise exempt.

Firework Types, Explosives & How They Work Part 2

Set Pieces

These fireworks are, as their name suggests, used to create a static effect. They can be in the form of waterfalls strung horizontally on string or poles, wheels, flying pigs, fountains or lancework e.g. “Good Night”. These are mini flares linked together with fuse and burn for about 60 secs.

Careful attention needs to be paid to setting these up in order to gain the maximum effect from them, especially with respect to their height. Care must be taken to ensure that the moving fireworks set off in the right direction initially.

Most set pieces are not dangerous if properly assembled, however keep these out of the firing line to avoid premature ignition. Especially lance-work which must be set up-wind of the rest.

Lancework is a set piece of a special type. They are made up from small fireworks set on a frame which burn simultaneously as individual points of light to present a continuing two-dimensional picture. The picture may bes symbolic, such as a badge or crest, or in word form, such as “Good Night”.

More complex effects can be produced by creating different pictures in sequence on the same frame, to produce an impression of motion.

Explosives – How they work

Explosives can be classified under three headings:-

Deflagatory explosives (sometimes called low explosives), of which black powder is a typical example, are a mixture of a fuel and an oxidising agent.

On ignition, rapid combustion takes place producing quantities of hot gas. It is the expansive properties of this hot gas that, if suitably contained, gives rise to any explosive force produced. Deflagatory explosives form the vast majority of pyrotechnics mixtures.

By adjusting grain size and degree of compression of the powder before it is burnt, a considerable range of burn rates can be achieved. By the degree of containment of the hot gases after combustion has started, a considerable range of explosives force can be attained.

Hence the same quantity of black powder can be used to make a Gerb lasting 25 seconds or a lift charge for a shell fired from a mortar that burns for 6 micro seconds.

Because deflagatory explosives contain both fuel and oxidising agent, once alight they cannot be extinguished by blanketing with foam, Co2 etc. The best solution is to try to get sufficient water onto the fire to reduce the temperature to below the ignition point.

Caution! If however the fuel is metallic e.g. Magnesium, the application of water will have the same effect as squirting a bonfire with liquid oxygen! Magnesium is a very powerful reducing agent and can easily extract oxygen from substances commonly used in fire extinguishers e.g. water, carbon dioxide and even sand.

Fires involving pyrotechnic mixtures containing metallic fuels, are best covered with DRY sand in vast quantities in the hope that the thermal mass of the cold sand will cool the fire to below ignition temperature and before the metal fuel has had a chance to extract the oxygen from the sand.

It is also worth noting that pyrotechnic mixtures containing Aluminium and a nitrate oxidiser (e.g. Potassium Nitrate) will spontaneously ignite and then explode if they get wet.

Firework Types & How They Work

Roman Candles

A more complex firework, consisting of a tube containing pyrotechnic units alternating with propellant charges. When fired, the units are thrown into the air in sequence from top to bottom. Different effects are obtained by using successive units of varying colour and form. Roman Candles may also produce sound effects during their trajectory, including a report at the end. Between successive projections, the candle may emit coloured sparks or flame directly from the body.

They are made up to 60mm calibre and can send stars up to nearly 200 ft. The candle must therefore be securely fastened to a stake or candle frame.

It should be noted that as each successive star has further to travel up the case of the candle, it takes longer to exit the tube and is therefore subjected to the lifting charge for longer. The quantity of gunpowder has to be progressively decreased to achieve the same height. Do not use damaged candles – there could be a blow out.

Whilst the styles or effects have remained more or less unaltered throughout their history, there have been alterations in the method of activity of achieving the delay between the successive stars.

a) The original Ruggieri design utilised green mix gunpowder and these candles will emit showers of sparks between successive stars. It should be noted that with the exception of any tube products that may be used, all the products are consumed and there is little or no fallout.

b) Typical Chinese candles are used in vast quantities in the fireworks industry. Here a continuous fuse runs down the side of the tube and is designed to burn for the duration of the candle. The delay between successive stars is achieved by alternating them with loose plugs of potters clay. During the course of even a modest display, a considerable amount of clay is thrown into the air. Beware!

c) In recent Years Britannia Fireworks Ltd have been using “Typical” Chinese Candles manufactured using similar ideas to the “Ruggieri Technique”, and showers are emitted between each shot, this has enabled slightly better timing and larger stars etc.

d) To overcome the problems of achieving synchronised firing, there have been two developments, the earliest being the substitution of the green mix delay with a felt plug with a pressed delay in the centre. These felt plugs return to Earth unburnt.

Shells

A shell is a hollow projectile containing an explosive charge. In Western Europe and the USA the shell may also have an attached lifting charge. It must be remembered that this practice is by no means universal and the presence of a lifting charge would not be considered a defining characteristic by firework technicians. (The presence of a propellant charge is considered a defining characteristic of a rocket!)

The shell is projected from a mortar tube by a charge of gunpowder (the lifting charge) to burst high in the air with whatever effect is incorporated in the shell.

The mortar tube may be made from cardboard, fibreboard or specific types of plastic.

The shells may be made from paper or plastic and are either spherical or cylindrical in shape. It is much easier to contrive multiple breaks or bursts with a cylindrical shell, whereas the spherical shells are required to produce spherical bursts, chrysanthemums, peonies.

Shells which explode with a loud report are called maroons or salutes

The diameter of shells used at Britannia Fireworks Ltd are generally anything from 2” to 12” and come in two types:-

a) Bottom fused and

b) Top fused

Bottom fused shells have their lifting charge ignited first. This in turn ignites a delay fuse to the bursting charge.

Top fused shells are fitted with a delay fuse to the bursting charge with a secondary instantaneous fuse to the lifting charge. These are perhaps a little more reliable as there is less risk of the delay fuse being blown out. These tend to be more cylindrical in shape. Care must be taken when installing top fused shells to avoid damage to this lifting charge fuse. It is also essential to ensure that the shell, as with all shells, is inserted into the tube the right way up. Damaged shells should not be used.

Shells can be extremely dangerous if they are not handled and fired in the approved manner. The exit velocity of a shell from the mortar tube could be in excess of 200 mph!

To appreciate the height and effect of a shell, the following can be used as a rough guide

If ‘x’ is the calibre of the shell in inches,

the delay to full height is ‘x’ seconds,

the height reached is ‘X’ x 100 feet,

the spread of burst is ‘X’ x 10 metres.

This will not always apply, however it can be used as a guide for most shells.

Mines

These can be regarded as similar to shells in the method of use. The important distinction between them is that the firework element is ignited in the tube and is already burning when it exits the tube.

The effect of a mine is therefore instantaneous from the spectators viewpoint and always lower, although heights of 100 ft. may still be reached. These produce effects of stars, bombettes, whistles etc. Special care must be given when loading the bag type mines.

It is sometimes extremely difficult to distinguish the difference between some cylindrical mines and cylindrical shells and there are even some spherical mines.

Multi Shot Barrages or “Cakes”

These fireworks known affectionately as “cakes” are actually a collection of other categories of fireworks grouped together in boxes and produce stars, bombettes, whistles, spinners, etc. They may vary in size from small packages up to large cardboard boxes which can be very heavy to handle.

A cake barrage may contain anything from say 36 x 2.5”” shells in light tubes, 100 x 30mm maroons or even up to 1000 roman candles one shot in each tube.

They are extremely powerful so please be careful! They need to be set up very carefully, with particular attention paid to the surface upon which they stand and secured to a series of stakes. Cakes should always be angled away from spectators.

It is important to ensure that they are the right way up! It is not unknown for them to be labelled upside down or even the larger ones to be packed into their boxes upside down. Please take note !

Due to the size of some Cakes and the calibres used, we recommend moving them at least 50 metres, and in some cases even further (refer to Britannia Fireworks Site Policy)

Cake barrages are boxes containing a number of separate items, fused together so that they are fired in sequence over some period of time, normally much longer than for a single firework. The items may be all of one kind, or a mixture, including small, shells, candles etc.

As with roman candles, once started, the firing continues automatically until the last item is reached.

Batteries are comprised of a number of fireworks, normally of the same type, grouped in a single layout, to be fired as a single unit, individually in sequence, or in any other combination. The effect is the same as from any one firework on its own, enhanced by sequential or multiple firing.

Basic Fireworks Training Course

BRITANNIA FIREWORKS TRAINING COURSE MAIN OBJECTIVES

This is to ensure that Display Firers have a full understanding of these general areas-

· Background law covering the storage, transport, and use of fireworks, and the difficulties & responsibilities involved in the operation of a fireworks display

· Communication before the display with other parties

· What makes a suitable fireworks display site, including surrounding areas

· Transport of materials to the site, in safety and in compliance with regulations

· Practical aspects of setting up the fireworks display safely.

· Safe firing of the display, including spectator management

· Complete clearance of the site after the display, leaving it tidy and safe for the public

INDUCTION COURSE

Delegates will be taught the theory behind the safe use of fireworks and will also receive lessons of a practical nature in the tasks associated with setting up safe firework displays in order the work towards BPA Exam Level 1.

The second phase will be a further training period with the delegate attending shows with Britannia Fireworks & Events , to ascertain his/her level of competence. Further to this various tasks will be given, educating and increasing the level of skill as the trainee works through to Level two of the training Scheme. The number of shows will be dependent upon previous experience held by the delegate (minimum 12 shows from level 1), as they will have to demonstrate that they are familiar with all aspects of setting up and firing a display

COURSE STANDARDS

The principal aim behind the course will be safety, particularly with the safety of the public and spectators in mind. Also, that it covers all the responsibilities associated with the display, not only the “Firework” element of the display, but also other activities involved in organising the whole event etc… We feel that this is not only beneficial in terms of additional knowledge, and the possible involvement with crowd control and similar aspects, but also in communicating and understanding successfully the needs of our clients etc..

BACKGROUND PRINCIPALS – KEY & GENERAL REGULATIONS

These are key background Regulations affecting the manufacture, supply, and use of fireworks, and the operation of displays. Fireworks are exempt from some of the regulations concerned with explosives, but are mentioned in passing so that Firers are at least aware of their existence and associated responsibilities. We shall also cover the basic principles of explosives in general

If you are interested in attending a Fireworks Training Course then please contact our team at Britannia Fireworks & Events