Festival Fireworks Court Case

[Green Lasers]

But outlining the defence case today, Mukul Chawla QC said they could not be considered responsible for the two deaths as it was the duty of fire officers at the scene to have been aware of the dangers of a blaze involving fireworks and to have taken the necessary precautions.

Seems to be a fair point to me.

[Pyro Pete]

Latest news:

Court hears of aftermath of Lewes firework factory explosion (From The Argus)

Continues on Monday morning.

[StarFW]

Originally Posted by RocketRev

Interesting...... I thought one of the purposes of the registrations was that the emergency services would know exactly what was where in the event they were called to an incident. Apart from registrations ensuring storage so as to minimise risk, I thought they helped emergency service crews to know what they face and exactly where they need to take particular precautions.

Not strictly true.. Not sure what you mean by 'registrations', but this was an HSE licensed site (registrations as I understand the word refer to small stores like retail outlets), but as far as licensed sites go, there is no direct link between licence and fire service. Every time the licence changes, they don't automatically get informed. It's important to establish a good relationship with your local fire service, invite them on to site, keep them fully informed of what you store, update them with changes etc. The FBU are strongly against ISO containers, but the Fire Service cannot stop you using one.

I *guess* the farm may have been an HT4 site due to the proximity of the house and work places. There's no way it would have come within the COMAH regulations with the house there.

[RocketRev]

Originally Posted by StarFW

as far as licensed sites go, there is no direct link between licence and fire service. Every time the licence changes, they don't automatically get informed.

Ah, yes...... I forgot the fireworks variation on the "postcode lottery".... I suppose the "no direct link between licence and fire service" applies across much of the country (including Festival's location), but not where I am. I'm in one of those metropolitan counties where the Fire & Rescue Service is the local authority body directly involved with the granting of both Registrations and Licences.

The Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (GMFRS) has an application form that covers both Registrations and Storage Licences. There's provision on the form to indicate if the applicant is a Fireworks Retailer, a Fireworks Import / Wholesale business, a Fireworks Display Operator or a Recreational User. (The last of these applies to me.) The GMFRS guidance to applicants does refer people to the HSE for form LP41 if they want to store more than 2 tonnes of explosives.

The HSE itself says (on it's website), "In most cases where HSE is the licensing authority, once HSE has approved the application, the applicant will then need to ask the local authority for its assent before HSE can grant the licence." In my area that means going to the GMFRS.

That's why I'm under the impression that the Fire Service will know all about any site used for fireworks storage. But maybe that's only correct for metropolitan counties?

[blackbat]

A bit more on this story, which I don't think has appeared on the Argus web site. I met up in London yesterday with the in-laws to see the (cancelled) Lord Mayors show fireworks. They live in Lewes and brought the local Lewes paper with them which had a lot of coverage of the case (booked for 5 weeks incidentally).

Apparently it isn't just a case of the container which exploded wasn't not supposed to be on site, but there is a suggestion that it contained HT1/2 material although the site was only licensed for HT3/4.

[Masterchief]

Ah that changes the game a tad

[Arthur]

From an email from Evan Bale (HSE's chief inspector of explosives) to me relating to my storage, Mr Bale said, and I quote:

In normal circumstances a steel ISO container or substantially built building with steel doors, equipped with good quality padlocks would be adequate for commecial fireworks.

So WHY does the HSE approve of the same container that the Fire services seem to regard as the fount of all evil?

How are we supposed to store safely if the responsible authorities cannot get their acts together.

[RocketRev]

Maybe the key's in the phrase "commercial fireworks"? Maybe an ISO container is OK for retail stuff.... but not HT1 & 2 stuff?

[redandwhitepyro]

Originally Posted by RocketRev

Maybe the key's in the phrase "commercial fireworks"? Maybe an ISO container is OK for retail stuff.... but not HT1 & 2 stuff?

MSER quite clearly states that HT1 & 2 are OK to store in suitable ISO stores but the quantites allowed are very small in line with their hazard and rightly so.

[Arthur]

In Metropolitan counties the administrative functions are handled by different bodies than in shire counties. However HSE specifically suggest an ISO container and that fire service are trying to say that an ISO container is wrong. I don't see how both arguments can be right.