Thursday 20 October 2016
The sale of fireworks will commence on Friday 28th October this year and they will be available until close of business on the 5th November.
Robin Gonard, Inspector of Explosives, offered the following advice and information for islanders wanting to enjoy safe fireworks celebrations.
If you are holding a public event, please go to the following site to notify of the location www.gov.gg/events
For the public - www.gov.gg/fireworks Sign up to notifications and see any planned event.
If you do hold your own event please follow this guidance:
- When buying fireworks, seek the advice of the retailer or read the manufacturer's instructions as to the suitability of the firework for the area in which it is to be discharged. Many of those on sale to the public are not suitable for the average garden on the island.
- Always buy fireworks well in advance of letting them off; give yourself time to read the instructions on the fireworks in order that you can make the preparations necessary to fire them safely. Many require wooden stakes driven into the ground or a hole dug to partially bury them.
- Read and understand the Fireworks Code. Simple precautions save injuries and damage.
- Check the wind speed and direction.
- Fireworks should be fired 25m away from buildings and people.
- Never let children light fireworks.
- Remember that Sparklers burn at temperatures in excess of 1000°C - make sure to wear gloves when holding them and have a bucket of water nearby to quench them when they are burnt out. Sparklers cause more injuries every year than fireworks.
- Be a good neighbour. Let people know what you are planning. If there is livestock in nearby fields let the owners know what you are doing and try to keep your fireworks to reasonable hours perhaps between 6.30 - 8.30pm - finishing your display before 9pm. Do not fire fireworks in public places.
- Do not cause a nuisance by firing them late at night.
- Do not allow young person's access to fireworks. Sale of fireworks to persons under 20 years of age is prohibited.
States Veterinary Officer David Chamberlain offered the below additional advice.
- A proportion of companion animals (dogs/cats/rabbits/guinea-pigs/horses etc.) are scared of loud sounds, typically fireworks and thunder. It is impossible to predict which animals will develop sound phobias but it usually takes multiple loud sounds to sensitise an animal. When exposed to loud sounds phobic animals become fearful and anxious.
- It is important to keep sound phobic animals in a safe and secure environment that will ideally muffle the sounds. However animals must not be confined to small spaces as confinement heightens their anxiety. For instance, keep your dog in the house, draw the curtains, turn up the television but let the dog wander from room to room as it wants.
- Owners must be careful not to reinforce the phobia by trying to reassure fearful animals. If you fuss over your dog when it is fearful you will simply reinforce its feeling that there is something to be fearful about. Carry on as normal and your dog will follow your example that there's nothing to be scared of.
- Owners of sound phobic dogs could try to desensitise them months before any noisy event. This should be done with the assistance of an animal behaviourist.
- If you've left it too late to desensitise your dog you could try anxiolytic medication such as 'Zylkene' and behavioural aids such as 'DAP Diffusers or Collars' and 'Thundershirts'.
- Liaise with neighbours if you have a sound phobic animal so they can moderate the use of noisy fireworks and limit the duration of their display.
- Pick up firework or party debris the next day to avoid any injuries to wildlife.
