As the season for bonfires and fireworks approaches, Premierline
Direct, the business insurance specialist, is advising businesses
holding an event about what steps they need to take to ensure they
are fully protected and that safety goes hand in hand with having
fun. So, here are some top tips to ensure your Guy Fawkes
party goes with the right kind of bang:
- If you're holding a bonfire and/or fireworks event, you must
tell your insurance company. This is because the insurer will
have terms and conditions that you must comply with to ensure your
business is covered for such an event.
- Before the event, consider whether the site is suitable and
large enough for your display. The bonfire must be roped off
at least 10 meters away from the spectators and any buildings,
roads, railway, overhead cables and the fireworks display area
itself must be at least 25 meters away.
- For the event, make sure there are plenty of stewards on
site. There has to be at least one steward for every 100
spectators to watch over the crowd and ensure their safety.
Their duties are likely to include car park attendance, monitoring
the bonfire area, keeping spectators behind barriers and clearing
up after the event. So ensure you have recruited competent
people who are over 18 years old and that they are wearing
fluorescent jackets to make them easy to spot.
- All fireworks must be handled by either yourself or a
responsible adult. In addition, the fireworks must be used in
line with the manufacturer's instructions, which includes making
sure they are suitably stored.
- As part of taking a responsible attitude to the safety of those
at the event, there must be a qualified first aider on site that
can call for emergency assistance, so make sure they are carrying a
mobile phone.
- At the end of the event, the bonfire should be extinguished
with water and it must not be left unattended until the steward
responsible and the person in charge of safety are certain that it
is out.
- If you're looking to hold an event, you should also inform the
Environmental Health Services of your local authority, who can
provide additional guidance
