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Safety Basics

Ice_Pyro

Ice_Pyro

Member
Joined
Apr 2019
Messages
15
This is a thread for safety basics, it is meant to cover all aspects and is by no means comprehensive

1. Never place any part of your body over an unspent cake or loaded tube
2. Always assume cakes are live until the field is cleared
3. DO NOT wear synthetic clothing (it melts!) 100% cotton clothing is your best bet
4. Use eye protection when hand lighting
5. Never hold fireworks in your hand to light them
6. Never throw fireworks or aim them at others
7. Distance is the best safety measure. Standard is 75' per inch of tube diameter, halved for ground items (strobes, fountains, mines). Recommended distance is 100-125' per inch
8. Never use PVC as a rack building material for shooting mortars. Acceptable materials are HDPE, Fiberglass, or cardboard (limited use)
9. Avoid hot firing shells out of the same tube, errant embers can cause premature firing and lead to accidents. If you must reload, rotate the tubes you use and give them time to cool down
10. Full length pants and closed toed shoes should be worn when lighting fireworks
11. ABC. Always Brace Cakes, this can be 3 cinderblocks arranged in a V, garden stakes, or gluing them to a board to provide better stability and reduce the chance of tipping
12. Ear protection is recommended for children and for those hand lighting display shells
13. Always leave a clear path of egress, make sure you can back away from the item you are lighting safely with no trip hazards or obstacles



Something I missed or comments? Please leave them below
 
Always error on the side of safety. If you have the slightest doubt...don't do it !
 
Kids can be fast and sneaky … even with dedicated spotters, I like to have all kids wear glow bracelets and/or necklaces -- they like wearing them, and we can more easily see if any happen to stray away from the spectating area(s).
 
DexTee said:
Kids can be fast and sneaky … even with dedicated spotters, I like to have all kids wear glow bracelets and/or necklaces -- they like wearing them, and we can more easily see if any happen to stray away from the spectating area(s).
Click to expand...

Shock collars and invisible fencing work wonders

:eek::LOL:
 
DexTee said:
Kids can be fast and sneaky … even with dedicated spotters, I like to have all kids wear glow bracelets and/or necklaces -- they like wearing them, and we can more easily see if any happen to stray away from the spectating area(s).
Click to expand...

Great idea! I'm shooting at a friend's BBQ this year and crowd management is a concern for me. I really like this suggestion!
 
I would strongly recommend hearing protection for everyone shooting fireworks, including those firing electronically. Hearing damage is cumulative - each bit of hearing damage makes your hearing slightly worse. By the time most people notice, the hearing is significantly worse than a person with undamaged hearing. Earplugs are MUCH cheaper than hearing aids.
 
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