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It’s that time of year again, when the country goes a little ga ga for the ‘pfft’, ‘bang’, and ‘whizz’ of fireworks, and the lure of building bonfires takes over, all to celebrate Guy Fawkes’ foiled attempt at blowing up Parliament over 400 years ago. Ìý

For the majority of families across the UK bonfire night will go off without a hitch. But on the flipside it is estimated that over 500* children and their families will remember the 5th of November for all the wrong reasons.

Despite the fireworks code being widely publicised and known by many, there are stillÌýnumerous incidents resulting in minor or serious injuries happening year after year. There are easy-to-follow to help parents and families avoid incidents, like those that can happen on . ÌýEveryone wants children to lead active, healthy lives – not ‘wrapped in cotton wool’. ÌýIn order to do this, children need to be able to experiment, play and take risks. But there is a balance to be struck - no parent wants their child injured in a serious accident that could have been prevented.

So what can we do to avoid incidents involving fireworks? ÌýGiven that the majority of injuries happen during private or family displays, we do have an element of responsibility in making them as safe as possible for younger children. We can also make sure older children and teenagers know the real dangers of messing around with fireworks and the law regarding using them in public places.

There is a really good guide to firework safety on the website, but here are a few tips to get you started:

• don’t drink alcohol if you are lighting fireworks or sparklers

• keep a bucket of water nearby Ìýto put out any small fires

Fireworks

• only buy fireworks marked BS 7114 – this is the British Standard that all fireworks should meet, and only buy them from a reputable or known firework stockistÌý

• store fireworks in a fireproof or metal box and take out one at a time

• follow the instructions on each firework – read them in daylight or by torchlight, never by a naked flame

• only one person should be responsible for lighting fireworks

• light fireworks at arms length, using a taper, make sure everyone stands well back

Sparklers

• sparklers are not ‘fireworks lite’, it is often forgotten that they can reach temperatures up to 2,000 degrees Celsius, 20 times the boiling point of water

• never give a sparkler to a child under the age of five

• make sure older children wear gloves and hold sparklers at arms length, keeping a bucket of cold water nearby to put sparklers in, hot end down

Have a safe and happy bonfire night!

*Our prediction is based on statistics published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). They report that in the six years between 2000 and 2005, 6,637 people were injured and required hospital treatment. Around half of those were children under the age of 16.

Kirstin Rowan works for the .

Find out more about bonfire night on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Schools Festivals & Events

If you want to make some delicious treats for November 5th, get some inspiration from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Food. ÌýÌý

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