Firework Displays

General legal considerations

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Health and Safety regulations apply to Firework Displays which are undertaken as part of a work activity. It places duties on the persons organising and firing the display to ensure the safety of those arranging and giving the display, the spectators, and other people near the display site who may be affected. Display organisers and firers also have a civil law duty of care not to cause injury to persons that might be affected by the conduct of the display or cause damage to their property.

The Explosives Act 1875 requires that premises storing fireworks must be registered or licensed. There is a provision under the Control of Explosives Regulations 1991 which permits fireworks to be kept without licensing/registering provided the fireworks are not for sale, are stored safely and kept for no more than 14 days before use.

The Fireworks Safety Regulations 1997 regulate the type of fireworks which may be sold to the public and the safety requirements these fireworks must adhere to. The Regulations are made by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and are enforced by local authority Trading Standards Officers. Enquiries regarding the sale of fireworks should be directed to the Buckinghamshire Council’s Trading Standards Department or to the DTI.

The following guidance on firework displays applies to all firework displays held on Buckinghamshire Council premises, including school playing fields, and must be brought to the attention of all persons responsible for operations and events on the premises. For education settings, the guidance must be made available to and be followed by Head Teachers, school staff, Governing Bodies and Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) when organising events involving fireworks on school sites.

This guidance covers two types of display:

• A display using a professional display company.
• A display organised and fired by school staff and/or members of the governing body or PTA etc.

Use of fireworks is prohibited on all other Council-owned premises and grounds, including, but not limited to, community centres and green spaces, unless organised, installed, fired and removed by a professional display company.

In all instances, the use of fireworks must be authorised by the Council prior to the event.

No fireworks, pyrotechnics, or fire for the purposes of display are authorised for use at the following locations at any time, regardless of the organiser:

• Black Park
• Langley Park
• Denham Country Park