The Laws & Legislation on Fireworks in the UK

Fireworks are explosives and, as such, there are strict rules in place in the UK regulating the storage, sale, possession, and use. As a large, professional fireworks display company, Titanium Fireworks must ensure that every aspect of what we do complies with the many legal requirements that govern our industry.

The original act of parliament that controlled our operation was the 1875 Explosives Act, which has basically impressed the concept of quantity and distance. The larger the amount of explosives stored, the larger the distance required from other explosives, buildings, roads and dwellings.

A considerable amount of study and research was conducted during the second world war from the damage to buildings during The Blitz (1940-1941). In 2005, we saw the first major revision of this act with the introduction of the Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations (MSER), which means we are now working under a third revision known as the Explosive Regulations 2014. In addition, we operate under the Pyrotechnics Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015, which originates from Brussels.

There are also a wide raft of other regulations that are in place to legislate and control what we can and cannot do. The first of these being Health & Safety Regulations, which governs the entire UK, regardless of the sector one works in. Then we have more specific legislation —where the use of acronyms is prevalent:

• ADR, CDGUTPER & DGSA for transport
• LOCEF, CLER and PEC for classification and labelling of explosives
• REACH for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals
• COMAH for the Control of Major Accidents & Hazards

As well as the professional side of the industry, there is equally controlling legislation for retail fireworks and public use to ensure the safety to the user and public alike. The legislation is constantly under review, especially if there is an incident somewhere in the world where we can all learn something.

Thankfully, incidents involving fireworks are rare and, as long as people have a high degree of respect for them and follow the instructions and guidance, fireworks displays can be very safe.