Firework displays were being fired all around the country on the 5th November this year to celebrate Guy Fawkes. One private display at Oxgangs in Edinburgh seemed to get most of the attention after an incident occurred on site, which resulted in all of the fireworks going off together.
The incident was reported by the BBC and became national news after a video of the moment the fireworks cross ignited was shown on YouTube.
The event has been run successfully by the community for over 10 years and attracts a lot of people each year.
Following the event, our company director Geoff Crow was invited by the BBC to review the footage and advise the general public on things to consider when organising their own shows.
He said “One of the most important issues is a knowledge of the product that they are using and the ways in which is can fail. Once you know this, the rest of the event planning can come together, such as public viewing locations, safety distances and methods of firing the material. There is a lot to be said for using trained and experienced personnel, who have a knowledge of the product and are capable of putting together a competent risk assessment.”
Geoff also added “The reason there were so few injuries with such a big explosion is because this event was well planned. These events are really important for local communities. They bring people together, sowing into the social fabric of society, giving people a sense of togetherness.”
21cc Fireworks have offered assistance to the community group in helping review what happened and what they might be able to do next year to prevent a similar situation from re-occuring.
