FIREWORKS 2

Every year it amazes me just how little is said and done about the safety of fireworks. This I think is mainly due to the fact that they are classed as illegal. As you may have noticed (!), this doesn’t mean that they do not exist. Here in Inishowen there seems to be a plentiful supply. I wrote to the Tanaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform Mr Michael McDowell T.D. who is said to be very conscious of the dangers that fireworks present. He has added new amendments to the explosive acts of 1875, which governs fireworks in the Criminal Justice act 2006. These amendments provide for new offences governing the misuse of fireworks in public places and an offence of possession of illegally imported fireworks with intent to supply. They also provide for significantly increased penalties governing the illegal importation, sale and use of fireworks.

· It is now an offence to for any person to possess a firework with intent to supply without a licence.
· It is an offence to throw an ignited firework at property, and
· It is an offence to light unlicensed fireworks in a public place.
The penalty for such offences is now a fine of up to €10,000 euro or five years imprisonment or both. The possession of fireworks without a licence is also an offence for which a person may be liable to a fine of €10,000 euro. The explosive act, 1875 provides that fireworks may only be imported into Ireland on foot of an importation licence granted by the Tanaiste and it is current policy to only issue licences for the importation of fireworks used in organised displays conducted by “professional/competent operators” In effect this policy means that the only fireworks imported into the State and “legally held” are those used in professional displays. All other fireworks held, sold or used in this country are illegal and any person found in possession of fireworks without a valid licence is liable for prosecution.

ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
This year the Tanaiste is embarking on a nationwide advertising campaign aimed at highlighting the dangers of fireworks and the new increased penalties for their illegal use. This advertising campaign will run up to Halloween. Every effort is also being made by the Gardai to identify persons involved in the illegal importation and sale of fireworks. This year an intelligence operation called “Operation Tombola”, which aims to prevent and detect the organised importation and sale of fireworks, has been put in place by the Garda Commissioner. The Tanaiste is confident that this year, with the introduction of the new offences and new penalties, the Garda operations will be more successful in combating the illegal importation, sale and use of fireworks. This may be so, but I am sure that there will be plenty of fireworks lit between now and Halloween. When I was a child, growimg up in England, the firework code was drummed into us through advertising on the telly, usually accompanied by horrific images and facts of injuries and burns caused by fireworks. These left quite an impression. I thought it would be a good idea to print the firework code as fireworks are obviously being used at the moment.

FIREWORK CODE
All fireworks should have the marking BS7114 on them this is a quality mark and without it the fireworks could be very dangerous coming from unregulated countries.
· Keep fireworks in a sealed box or tin.
· Use them one at a time, replacing the lid immediately.
· NEVER put fireworks in your pocket.
· Read the instructions carefully, using a torch or hand lamp. NEVER use a naked flame.
· Light fireworks at arms length using a taper or firework lighter.
· Stand well back and NEVER return to a firework after it has been lit, it could explode in your face.
· Ensure that all children with fireworks are well supervised.
· NEVER throw fireworks.
· Keep all pets and animals indoors.
· Take care of sparklers, wear gloves to hold them and dispose of sparklers in a bucket of water as soon as they are finished.

It is all pretty standard stuff but from what I have seen not many people appear to be aware of them. If you do have an idea that your kids are out lighting the odd banger or worse you could tell them firstly that it is illegal. Then secondly it would do no harm to remind them of the code

Environmental.

FIREWORKS 1

Photo: Crana Crescent halloween party in Buncrana

Every year around Halloween the familiar sound of bangers and rockets fill the air around the country. We here in Inishowen see more evidence of fireworks than a lot of other areas because of our proximity to the border. It is an offence to buy or use fireworks without a licence from the police in the north and this would be invalid if they are brought over the border. Although there is a 150 year old law banning the use of fireworks in the Republic of Ireland, one of the main concerns is the quality of the devices (of course all fireworks are potentially dangerous if not handled with care). There are some reputable companies that do make safe, reliable fireworks but we are seeing more and more cheap and unpredictable rip offs being peddled to unsuspecting buyers. The fact that the fireworks are illegal here makes setting them off all the more exciting as far as the offenders are concerned. Also, as fireworks are illegal here there seems to be very little publicity when it comes to safety issues regarding safe practice. So here is the firework code.

THE FIREWORK CODE OF SAFETY
Make sure fireworks meet the BS 7114 safety requirement and keep them in a closed box.
Follow the specific instructions on each firework
Light fireworks at arm's length using a taper, never a naked flame
Stand well back
Never go back to a firework once it's been lit
Never put fireworks in a pocket
Never throw fireworks
Always light sparklers one at a time and wear gloves to hold them
Never give sparklers to a child under five
Keep pets indoors, (my dog’s life is being made a misery at the moment)



SEVENTEEN INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT FIREWORKS
1. The first fireworks were probably made in China, around 2,000 years ago.
2. Over 130 million fireworks were sold in Britain and Ireland last year.
3. In the Far East, fireworks have been used at religious ceremonies for centuries.
4. Last year over 900 people required hospital treatment from accidents involving fireworks.
5. The word for firework in Japanese, 'hanabi', means 'fire-flower'.
6. Italy and France were the first European countries to have fireworks, in the 1300s.
7. At family back-garden displays, sparklers cause more injuries than air-bombs, bangers, rockets and roman candles combined.
8. Half of all firework accidents happen to children under the age of 16.
9. You can go to a firework display in spring if you like. A firework company in Yorkshire hold one of the biggest displays in Europe annually to demonstrate their new ideas for the coming celebrations later in the year.
10. Coloured fireworks didn't exist until the 1800s.
11. Three sparklers burning together generate the same heat as a blowtorch.
12. The world's largest single firework was set off at a festival in Japan in 1988. The shell weighed over half a tonne and the burst was over a kilometre across.
13. Hands and eyes are most at risk in firework accidents.
14. A firecracker display in Malaysia in 1988 used over 3 million crackers, measured almost 6 kilometres and burned for over 9 hours - the longest display on record.
15. There is a British Safety Standard for fireworks: BS 7114.
16. Most firework accidents are caused at family back-garden displays closely followed by incidents in the street.
17. Throwing a firework in a street or public place is a criminal offence; there is a big fine for offenders.

Environmental.

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HALLOWEEN HAND

HALLOWEEN PARTY TIME

Ronnie dressed in his FEAR costume!

Halloween is nearly upon us and it’s not long before the devils and witches come out at the end of the month. If you are deciding to have a bit of a spooky party come the 31st then here are some ghoulish ideas for the event.

PUMPKIN BOWLS
Serve fresh vegetables using a hollowed out pumpkin as a bowl. Cut off the top and clean out, leaving the top in a jagged edge design! Use mini pumpkins to hold dips!

CREEPY ICE BOWLS
We have just made an ice bowl, which looks great with a light underneath it. To make one of these half fill up a bowl with water then put a smaller bowl inside. Weigh the smaller bowl down so it is pressed into the water and put creepy things into the water like tomato tops for spiders, olives for eyes –use your imagination! Put in the freezer overnight and in the morning remove both bowls. You will be left with an ice bowl that you can fill with delicious ice cream and bats wings on the night. The bowl can be stored in the freezer to use again.

FROZEN HANDS
Make frozen ice hands by filling clear, food use plastic gloves with water and freezing. When frozen, cut the glove away and throw them in a bowl that is full of lemonade. It will keep your pop cold and look great!

DEAD FLOWER DISPLAYS
Create creepy autumn centrepieces by filling vases with dried flowers, brown leaves, and empty branches. Tie a black ribbon bow around each display. If you can get some imitation spiders webs to drape over them, all the better.

FOG MACHINES
Fog machines are now very inexpensive and readily available during the Halloween buying season. Adding one to your haunt or party makes a big impact on your Halloween celebration and will add that extra effect to thrill and scare your trick or treaters. If you want to hire one then get ringing the hire shops now!

ALTERNATIVE APPLE BOBBING
Use apples for taper candleholders. Choose small, round apples that will sit firmly on a flat surface and remove the stems. Cut a small round hole in the top of each apple - deep and wide enough to securely hold a taper candle. Make sure the apples are shaped so that they have a flattish bottom, so they won't tip over. If you don’t like the idea of getting everyone soaking wet with apple bobbing there is an alternative. Hang the apples by their stems with thread from the ceiling and let party goers try to bite them!

PUMPKIN SEEDS
Keep your pumpkin seeds when gutting your pumpkin so you can roast them up later for a fun Halloween treat! Simply wash the seeds to get the slime off and pat dry. The seeds are now ready for roasting. Put a drop of oil into a frying pan and keep stirring them until they turn golden brown. Alternatively you can put them on a baking tray and put them in the oven for about twenty minutes on a moderate heat, again until they are golden brown. The seeds taste delicious on their own or you can add them to savoury dishes or even put them on your muesli in the mornings.

SPOOKY LIGHTING
Tie small glow sticks to string attached to helium balloons and let them sail over your house for spooky lights in the sky. Make sure to tie off the strings to something solid so they do 't get away! We ordered some small glow sticks off e-bay last year and they were reasonably priced at ten pounds for one hundred. The helium might be a bit more expensive though!

COSTUME CAUTION
Make sure that any shop bought costume is fire retardant. Nylon and other materials used to make mass produced Halloween costumes is highly flammable. Those made out of vinyl can be particularly hazardous. Extreme caution is needed when there are fireworks around and any other naked flames from candles or fires.

PUMPKIN PICTURE 2

Michael's spooky pumpkin, Ronnies below

PUMPKIN PICTURE

TOO SPOOKY TO PUBLISH!!!!