Are you ready for Bonfire night?

Managing Safety at Bonfire Night Events

Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas are around the corner – Event organisers and business owners will be looking forward to another lucrative season.

Bonfire Night events are great fun, but they also bring significant specific risks. Fireworks displays, huge bonfire displays, fairs and stalls – the perfect bonfire night requires perfect risk management.

Every year, Bonfire Night events get more extravagant. In the post-Covid era, it’s clear customers are choosing experiences over gifts; Bonfire Night event organisers can capitalise on this by making their event extra special.

But, as always, there’s a slight word of warning to this tale. With more breath-taking shows, larger fires and bigger fireworks, come higher chances of something going wrong.

How to reduce the possibility of a serious accident at a bonfire or firework display

Nothing finishes the fun quicker than a serious accident or injury. Risk management is vital at all times of year, but none more so when so many people are gathering in such small places around dangerous materials as they are at Bonfire Night events.

Year after year, the warnings about the potential for injury on bonfire night get louder and louder. Statistics in 2016 from St John’s Ambulance showed 4,506 people treated for fireworks-related injuries on Bonfire night.

We’re sure your event will be fantastic, but don’t forget to complete adequate risk management checklists to keep your guests safe this Bonfire Night.

If you don’t feel comfortable doing risk checks yourself, use our template checklist for expert risk management guidance.

As a quick 1 minute guide, we’ve listed a few of the critical steps that bonfire event organisers need to take in order to reduce risk at their event:

8 essential Bonfire Night and firework display safety tips:

• Obtain any necessary permits and permission from the land owner to host the bonfire event.
• Use dry, seasoned firewood for the bonfire. Green or wet wood can produce excessive smoke and sparks.
• Do not throw waste into the fire; like plastics, used fireworks or treated wood
• Designate a responsible person or team to manage the fire. This individual or team should have experience with fire safety.
• Have fire extinguishers, buckets of water, or hoses nearby in case of emergencies and accidents.
• Have a well-stocked first aid kit on hand and ensure that someone is trained to administer basic first aid. Be prepared for minor burns, cuts, or other injuries that may occur.
• Monitor weather conditions and be prepared to postpone or cancel the event if conditions become hazardous, such as strong winds or dry conditions.
• Purchase Bonfire Insurance to safeguard any losses such as claims for an accident, reparations for property damage, or costs of cancellation.