Bonfire weekend is here! With so many families planning on enjoying fireworks from the comfort of their gardens Play Factore wanted to share some tips with you on keeping your little ones safe this Bonfire Night.
To add a little more sparkle to your weekend Play Factore are giving one of our lucky readers the chance to WIN a Family Pass for 2 Adults & 2 Children. The winner will be chosen at random on Friday 10th November 2017. Competition closes at midnight Thursday 9th November 2017.Simply enter your details below for a chance to win. ENTER NOW!
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Here are Play Factore’s Top Ten Tips for keeping your children safe this Bonfire Night.
1 – Size Matters
When building your bonfire always ensure your fire is built in an open space and that you are not in a smoke free area. Do not build your bonfire close to hedges, fences, sheds or building. Fire spreads quickly it is important that the area around your bonfire is clear. Have you considered visiting a local bonfire event instead?
2 – Keep pets indoors
Before lighting your bonfire all check that there are no animals hiding within the structure for warmth. Hedgehogs in particular like climbing inside unlit bonfires. Keep your pets indoors if they do not like loud noises try leaving the radio or television on for them. Don’t forget your neighbours pets too, a quick knock on a neighbours to let them know about your plans allows them the chance to bring their pets indoors if necessary.
3 – Never light a bonfire with flammable liquid.
Instead use domestic firelighters and never throw aerosol cans or tyres onto a fire. Don’t forget that fire spreads quickly even after it has just been lit. Do not use any flammable liquids to light your bonfire.
4 – Keep a bucket of water nearby
Before lightning your bonfire or fireworks it is important that you have followed the simplest of safety measures. Have a bucket of water nearby in case of an emergency, it can also be used to put used fireworks and sparklers in.
5 – Only buy fireworks marked with the BS7114 kitemark
You should always only buy Fireworks with the BS7114 Kitemark. Never buy a box that has been tampered with.
6 – Always follow the instructions
It is important to always read the instructions for each firework. Light all fireworks from arm’s length and use a touch to lighting not a flame.
7 – Never go near a firework that has been lit
Even if the firework hasn’t gone off, it can still explode. Never throw discarded fireworks onto bonfires as they may still have gunpowder left in them. Put all discarded fireworks into a bucket of water. Never let children near a lit firework.
8 – Ensure children are correctly dressed
Make sure your children are not wearing loose clothing and always ensure children wear gloves. If wearing a scarf make sure it is tucked away. The smallest ember could start a fire make sure your children stay away from all open flames.
9 – Never give sparklers to a an unsupervised child
A single sparkler can reach a temperature of up to 2,000⁰C. Never leave a children alone with a lit or used sparkler. Make sure the child holds the sparkler at arm’s length and wears gloves.
10 – When a sparkler goes out, do not touch it
Because Play Factore know little ones love writing their names with sparklers we have added a little extra sparkler safety information.
Stay Safe With Sparklers
Sparklers are a great way to enjoy the Bonfire weekend, particularly for children who can use them to write their names in the sky and make pretty patterns. But, it’s worth remembering whilst sparklers may look harmless they can cause serious injury if they are not handled correctly.
In fact, a single sparkler can reach a temperature of up to 2,000⁰C, which is 15 times the boiling point of water, and 3 sparklers lit at once will burn at the same heat as a blowtorch used for joining metal.
But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have them at your display. Instead, follow the advice below and you’ll ensure sparkler safety.
- Always light sparklers one at a time, and ensure when sparklers are being handled gloves are worn – just consider how hot they can get.
- NEVER give sparklers to under 5s. Yes we want everyone to enjoy a firework display, but for child safety on Bonfire Night, young children should never be given sparklers.
- ALWAYS supervise children when they’re using sparklers, and make sure you’ve shown them how to safely use sparklers at arm’s length.
- Plunge finished sparklers into a bucket of water. We would also recommend leaving them there until the following day, as they can retain their heat for some time.